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Review Summary: An awfully unique “murder metal” album, designed for one thing and one thing only; to clown around about psychopathic serial killers. Let’s take into account that Macabre have been around for 25 years without a single line-up change. For any band, that’s an impressive reign and what’s even more impressive is that they have virtually breathed life into their own sub-genre. By now you would think they have matured or drastically altered their music to suit modern metal, but alas Grim Scary Tales puts forth a conclusion to the band: they’ll probably always stay the same. Instead of a well-constructed album, it’s basically just a batch of songs. Each song adds a certain value though, especially concept wise. Finding the lyrics is a pretty painful job, but by simply looking at the song titles is enough to paint the picture: this trio sings about nothing but mass slaying crackheads, past and present.
So, what exactly does this abomination of an album sound like? Well, despite all of its flaws and shortcomings, it’s fun, catchy and even sometimes humorous. The starting track, “Locusta” demonstrates what the next 12 tracks are going to sound like. That is; disconcerting vocals, blasting guitar interludes and insane blast beats. And to top it off, it’s based off a girl that assassinated two important gits or something silly. Brutal as it sounds, it’s very simple song structure that eventually gets repetitive by the end of the album. Interestingly though, Nero’s Inferno sets a completely different mood from its predecessor, with the quirkiest vocals and drum beat you’ll hear in a death metal for a while. As a song, it sounds like a bunch of clowns getting together in a jumpy castle with medieval woodwind instruments. Entertaining at first, hearing a bunch of bearded metal heads whine about Nero burning down Rome, it just ends up getting ridiculous. And speaking of ridiculous; The Dark Knight. I don’t know whether this song is about Monty Python or Batman or an actual murdering, pillaging dude with a sword, who knows. But knowing Macabre, it’s probably the latter. Mixed with random bursts of energetic drumming and constipated frog croaks, it’s hard to recommend unless you’re listening to Grim Scary Tales for hilarity. But wait it’s not over yet! The rest of the album is still to come in the same fashion! Songs like “Bella The Butcher” and “The Bloody Benders” have a whole new epitome of storytelling, with wordings as the following “She butchered hogs quite easily and did it all alone. But hogs were just a side line she indulged now and then… her favourite occupation was the butchering of the men”. Soon enough, the tawdry vocal work is interrupted by some more badly mixed metal and horrific screaming and pig squealing. However, as hard as it is to believe, there is some quality here. “Countess Bathory” and “The Sweet Tender Meat Vendor” give Grim Scary Tales at least a little bit of a footing. It’s still the same badly choreographed song structure and instrument playing but its br00tal so whatever.
Upon first listening to this album, it may seem entertaining, but after a few more minutes there’s not much more it adds to the table. Of course, Macabre’s intention was probably not to produce a good album, but to share a few more concepts and material to their small horde of blood thirsty fans. Hopefully it won’t be long before they run out of ideas and have to resort to some sort of progression, but until then, Macabre will continue being underground with the worst website layouts I’ve ever seen.
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Album Rating: 2.5
This took me about the same amount of time that it took Macabre to make this album. That is to say, around 15 minutes.
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I think the problem with this album is excactly the opposite. They tried to do far too many things they weren't comfortable with, and it just ends up sounding forced and repetetive. Funnily enough, Dahmer was also experimental in this regard, but that album was excellent.
What this album really needed was less time in the oven, so the band could do something they're more comfortable with, instead of awkwardly doing something different on nearly every track.
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is this album grim and scary
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
@DonniSharK: I'm not too familiar with Macabre's older material, but you're probably right. The tracks are different in their own respects, but in a bad way.
@wyan: Er. No. Not really.
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I'm a huge sucker for gore/ death metal (Exhumed's older stuff) so I think I may check this out. Great review too.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Hah, sounds like you would like this. Thanks, man.
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No problem ; ). This sub-genre writes some pretty catchy stuff.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Dude, I've just created an account here to say that this album is freaking insane and the review doesn't make it justice. 2.5/5 !!!??? You've got to be kidding me. Scary Grim Tales only 2.5 !!!???, especially when it seems from your review that you've actually enjoyed the album. Macabre fans, metal fans...whatever fans...this album is a WIN !!! 5/5...or at least 4/5 if you really what to be critical about it.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
It gets pretty boring and the quality doesn't keep up by the end of it. I can't see myself or anyone in the right frame of mind giving this a 5 or even a 4 for that matter.
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Reviews for extreme metal shouldn't be written by people with tastes ranging from tepid, over rated pop metal (Opeth, DEP) to "rock band" hogwash veiled in pretentious praise (Midnight oil? Radiohead?).
I say this because the "small group of rabid fans" who are dismissively tossed aside in this particularly horrible review happen to understand quite a bit more about music than their commercialized brethren. One of whom had a field day rating this album.
Where as the impulse to be "hipster" enough to "listen to everything" may grant one access to the gilded poppyfield of bad musical passing for credibility in "enlightened circles," it also blunts one's ear and mind into believing the mythology of craftsmanship behind marketing ploys passing as music.
An example would be something like Nine Inch Nails, a whole lot of noisy "industrial" garbage a drunk wino could "play" by tethering a keyboard to his side before rolling down a staircase. As long as a gathering of snooty, pale, wannabe "outcast" poets wearing black fitted turtle necks and eyeliner swear that jumbled mess is the soundtrack to their lives there will be a market for people wanting that kind of imagery associated with them.
Death Metal and the umbrella of Extreme Metal are about substance and not style. It is music not a fashion accessory. People listening to Macabre are listening to the elaborate drums, twangning bass and adequate riffs before they even hear the words, let alone waste time worrying about the lyrics. I just got this album and I think it is perfect for anybody otherwise interested in music instead of inclusion in the field of hokey hipster-dom.
If you get bored listening to this because it is "repetative" (as in constantly applying themselves instead of being lazy musicians shielding their shortcuts as "maturity" and "diversity") then you should probably go back to the rock pop section at FYE. I hear the new Justin Bieber album is out.
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...people with tastes ranging from tepid, over rated pop metal (Opeth...
Hahahaha brilliant.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
I hope you're trolling me kgoretrout but in the off chance that you're not then so be it.
I believe what makes music good is the ability to make it interesting and death metal is no exception. Brutality can only make it bearable to listen to for the first few tracks before it becomes tedious. If you are one of the people that believe otherwise, then you are a simpleton. I don't believe dishing out a dozen or so tracks of cheesy metal make it amazing in any sense. Now, I don't know why you are insulting my musical tastes as Radiohead, Opeth, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Nine Inch Nails are all amazing because of their individuality and diversity in their scenes. I won't go into detail, but Trent Reznor does more then tethering a keyboard whilst drunk with industrial synths in the background. Your opinion on music don't come with everything and just because I listen to those bands and enjoy them doesn't make me a hipster.
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xtrme metuhl is srs bsns
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
lel.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Can't decide if this album is epic or stupid as ****. Some songs here are great! "Nero's Inferno", "Sweet tender, meat vendor" etc..
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