Reviews : Albums : Gorelord, "Norwegain Chainsaw Massacre"

If you've got an ear to the underground, Frediablo is already a known quantity, based on his work with various bands like Wurdulak, Necrophagia, Grimfist, and others. But if you dig gore metal like I do, Frediablo means one thing... Gorelord! And Gorelord means Frediablo, as he is in complete and utter control of the beast.

"Norwegian Chainsaw Massacre" is the third release from Gorelord, and on a purely personal level this album does it for me. In fact, I'm tossing objectivity out the window and then having a good laugh at the sidewalk splatter. This one was made to be heard at levels approaching aural torture, one of those albums that perversely sound better the louder you can play it. The guitar and bass tone are perfect, thick and distorted, tuned down to the point of strings sagging like guts pouring out from the evisceration of a morbidly obese corpse. Vocals are nasty, brutish and short. And to top it all off, there's groove, actual groove, which does so much more than unrelenting speed to get the point across.

I'm still struggling to place the melody in the opener "Outback Part II", but I just know I've heard it before. Iron Maiden? Ian Gillan? I'm probably wrong, and Frediablo if you're reading this, you're probably laughing at me! Just when you're lulled into thinking this is going to be a Zombi album, "Dying or Dreaming" puts the paddles to the flesh. Man, that guitar tone just grinds my head down to nothing! "All Hail the Gods of Horror" is homage to the various film makers Frediablo likes; and I couldn't agree more with the sentiment expressed. In this desensitized world we have created, true horror genius' are few and far between. "Flesh to Feed" is over before you realize it, but pummels you mercilessly at the same time, like getting your ass kicked by Iron Mike back in the day. "Man of Shit" is more relentless groove, Frediablo trading vocals with himself until 1:36, when it breaks off into something else entirely. "Deathbreed" is a hail to misanthropy, and "Hammered" glorifies the wonders of whiskey, weed, and horror flicks. I wish I lived next door to Frediablo! "The Rising of the Undead" has breakdowns and blastbeats, but applied with a light and knowing touch for the groove. "Sprayed with Gasoline" has that same relentless pounding groove that infects this whole album. The next to last song is "Glorification of Violence", with lyrics and vocals by Dom Lawson of Kerrang! magazine, and contains this classic line... "Spoon the gravy from my ass". Oh, that Dom! Book-ending the album is the very movie sound track sounding "The Final Cut" which slow boils for twelve minutes.

So yeah, I loved it, just like I've loved all of Gorelord's releases. I know this isn't everyone's bucket of blood, but if you're into the gore metal scene, you really should give this one a listen.

Standout Tracks    All! Bloody All!

S.Gregory