Band: Macabre
Title: Grim Scary Tales
Label: Decomposed Records
Distribution: Hammerheart Records
Release date: 31/01/2011
Review:  CD

Macabre are one of the oldest extreme bands – formation: 1984 – and often this trio (Charles ‘Nefarious’ Lescewicz - b&v, Lance ‘Corporate Death’ Lencioni - g&v, and ‘Dennis the Menace’ Ritchie - d; by the way: this still is the original line-up, the trio never parted ways) gets considered as one of the protagonists for the Death Metal scene. The band does not play ‘average Death Metal’ at all; Macabre always creates a blend of different musical styles, among which Rock- and Metal-genres – they call it ‘Murder Metal’ themselves. Yet they have been extremely influential, both lyrically and musically – even members of Carcass and Slipknot do consider this Downers Grove, Illinois-based band as one of the most sophisticated bands ever.

It took quite a while this time – the band’s latest effort, Murder Metal, was recorded and released in 2003. Meantime: 2010 saw the light of an EP (released on vinyl only), called Human Monsters (Obscene Productions), and there was a compilation boxed set and a DVD as well – but Grim Scary Tales is the first full studio recording in seven years. It was recorded at The Ensomberoom with Geoff Montgomery (recording + mix) and the mastering was done at the famous Strype Audio with Tom Kvalsvoll (Ragnarok, Svartahrid, Sirius, Emperor, Evoken and hundreds of others). The lyrical concept hasn’t changed. Grim Scary Tales deals with serial killers and mass murderers, historical individuals that enjoyed the useless spilling of innocent blood. Tasty stuff indeed for the hungry ones amongst us. And some of the heroes featured in this history: my dearest beauty E. Bathori ("Countess Bathory", the cover indeed, in an acceptable version; it narrows the border with the Black Metal-scene), count Vlad Tepes ("Dracula"), Gilles de Rais ("The Black Knight"), Karl Grossmann ("The Sweet Tender Meat Vendor") and Bella Kiss ("The Kiss Of Death"). Musically too there hasn’t changed that much. Grim Scary Tales collects a huge variation in un-sweetened mu-sick. Grindcore, (Death/ Thrash) Metal, Doom, Rock, Folk (slightly in the vein of their side-project Macabre Minstrels), Punk/ Hardcore, Prog and Jazz, it’s all part of the story. A keyword, no matter the chosen musical direction, is ‘energy’, without ever losing certain catchiness.

Don’t get it too serious. Humour has always been important to this band, and it did not change this time. Even though the subject is rather ponderous, Macabre put everything in perspective.

75/100

Ivan Tibos.