In the Embrace of Evil

Grotesque was a legendary underground death metal act. They were best known for the presence of Tomas Lindberg and Kristian 'Necrolord' Wåhlin, neither of whom require much introduction. This creative duopoly was later joined by the incomparable death metal riff-contortionist Alf Svensson. The band recorded some demos, rehearsals and an EP (“Incantation”). They never made an album, instead splintering into At the Gates and Liers in Wait, with Wåhlin continuing with his drawing and painting. Grotesque brimmed with talent and confidence from the beginning, whilst being connected with the relevant underground tape trading and zine networks. Such a band couldn't fail to make an impression on the death metal scene.

The band's release history is complex and confusing. This retrospective compilation, released in 1996, does their career justice. It isn’t a complete discography because some early demo material is missing, but it contains all the band’s significant tunes (in a logical sequence). Three of the band’s recording sessions are represented. The earliest session (from 1989) includes six tracks from their unreleased final demo ("In the Embrace of Evil"). The second session includes the three tracks recorded by Tomas Skogsberg at Studio Sunlight a year later (i.e., the core of the "Incantation" EP). The final two songs were recorded six years later at Berno Studio, specifically for this compilation.

Musically, Grotesque were the 'blackened death metal' band. They captured the chaotic vibe of Blasphemy and Sarcófago, but also pioneered a deeper, darker, more intricate form of evil. They blazed the trail for other Swedish blackened death metal bands, such as the early recordings by Necrophobic, Marduk and Dissection. The Grotesque approach to composition is best described as ‘kitchen sink’. Their song-structures were loose and ramshackle but incorporated a variety of strange riffs and interchanges. Think of this as the Swedish version of what Possessed and (early) Morbid Angel had done. Ambition always took precedence over caution and cohesion.

Everything on this compilation fizzes with rage, creativity and atmosphere (a rare combination). Pick a song, any song, and the band will floor you with their dark, confusing vision. The three songs from the Sunlight session are the most renowned (and probably the best). They sound so different to any other Swedish death metal recorded at the studio. This music is much denser and more disorientating than what Entombed were doing, and it is a world apart from the crude cudgel of “Dark Recollections” or “Into the Grave”. The band were unafraid to overcome their relative inexperience, particularly on a seven-minute song like "Incantation". This band had aspirations beyond their years.

The two songs from the Berno (reunion) session are spectacular. This might represent the best old school death metal revival of all time. These songs are monsters, particularly the re-recording of "Ripped from the Cross". Lindberg's vocals are much more savage than they were on "Slaughter of the Soul". The instruments sound perfect in a high quality studio. These tracks provide definitive proof of Grotesque's legendary status. No other death metal band has tapped into the same vein since, not even At the Gates or Liers in Wait. This is an essential compilation for all serious death metal fans. It was awesome when it came out. It is untouchable now.

A less well known forbear comes in the form of Grotesque. A collection of early demos was made available back in 1996 entitled ‘In the Embrace of Evil’. Although of lesser known pedigree than Nihilist, this is a fascinating artefact for the death metal enthusiast. Made up of vocalist Tomas Lindberg of At the Gates fame, and Necrolord, who is responsible for some of the most loved album covers in metal. So what to make of the music itself? The production, as with Nihilist, varies from demo quality to passable lo-fi extreme metal. Lindberg’s vocals are more typical of metal of this flavour at the time, before he developed the unholy noise found on ‘The Red in the Sky is Ours’ (1992).

In terms of metal, this sits in that little time capsule between black and death metal, pre-Mayhem, post-Bathory. Where extreme metal was a homogenous blob. There’s plenty of thrash riffs thrown in, but we see the beginnings of grounding riffs in tremolo strumming rather than shredding. This is important because it is not just another technique among many here, we witness it becoming a key anchor for the music, it dictates structure and mood. This puts Grotesque closer to black metal in many ways, and indeed you can hear where the Norwegian artists would diverge in shedding the thrash elements completely.

Although the music of Grotesque is fast, it never falls completely into blast beat territory, sticking more to Slayer tempos. But importantly, the rhythm does not inform the structure of the song. Rather shifts in key and riff dictate the direction of the music, and the rhythm section is guided by the guitars, as opposed to most rock and metal which is the other way around. This was a key innovation of hardocre punk artists such as Discharge. One that Slayer ran with and developed. Grotesque continue this development and apply a darker, more evil aesthetic to it through the use of minor keys as well as power chords. This is an important distinction between death and black metal proper and thrash and heavy metal. Like I said, fascinating little time capsule for interested parties.

Originally published at Hate Meditations

I don't know if I should start this review with a short history lesson to all those, who have no clue what kind of band Grotesque was. But is it even possible not to know anything about them? I hope not. Grotesque were one of the first death metal bands in Sweden and certainly one of the most influential and important for this country's metal scene. They were quite short lived, never released a full-length album, only some demos and MLP. But that's enough to give them credit for inspiring so many bands back then and also nowadays. Personally, I was always unlucky with Grotesque's music. I had a CD version of "In the Embrace of Evil", but never managed to grab a copy on vinyl, especially the original press of the "Incantation" MLP. Luckily for me "In the Embrace of Evil" was released several times on LP. There was a Black Sun Records pressing, Century Media pressing and more recently Back On Black and Hammerheart re-released it. Since I hate that BOB version, because it's released on two vinyls - which I would hate to play, I was left to grab the Hammerheart pressing. And I do not regret having it. It's a very well done and solid release, with a single record (YES!) housed in great quality gatefold. The vinyl sounds very good, so I finally have my mission of having "In the Embrace of Evil" on vinyl completed.

"In the Embrace of Evil" is obviously a compilation, which contains everything that Grotesque has ever recorded in studio. You won't find here neither of their two rehearsal demos... But maybe it's good, because they would just not fit with their disastrous sound quality. Besides, there's already 50 minutes of music. It's enough, I think.

The record begins with five songs, which were recorded in November 1989 and which back then were supposed to be a first half of the future Grotesque full length for Dolores Records. It was recorded with Goatspell, Necrolord, Nuctemeron and Offensor in the line up. On this recording Grotesque sounds insanely thrashy, very much alike to bands such as Merciless, even the ancient Sepultura! The opening track "Blood Runs From the Altar" is probably the most vicious and evil sounding piece from this band and it's a killer tune, but I personally love "Submit to Death" and "Fall Into Decay" the most. These songs are slightly simpler, more straight forward and they will thrash you to death haha!

Few months later, in August 1990, Grotesque entered the Sunlight Studio to record another three songs. At that time the line up was Goatspell, Necrolord and new guitarist The Haunting. The drums were handled by session member - Offensor. I have to admit that this part of Grotesque's history is my favourite. The Haunting certainly added something new to these three songs and the music just became more interesting and kind of advanced. Many variations within the songs, tempo changes, some more twisted riffs, harmonies, very cool leads... and even darker, more evil atmosphere! Yes! And that Sunlight Studio sound... top notch. Besides, with songs like "Incantation" and "Spawn of Azathoth" it's undeniably brilliant. Grotesque never sounded like Nihilist or Therion, their music on the whole "In the Embrace of Evil" is much more evil and sinister that everything else, it's almost possessed sometimes. Maybe it's also a bit difficult to get into on the first listen, but only if you prefer more melodic and catchy stuff.

After the Sunlight Studio Grotesque split up. The album was never released. Two other classic Swedish bands - At the Gates and Liers in Wait - were formed. But on Friday the 13th of 1996 Necrolord, Goatspell and Offensor reunited and entered Berno Studio to record two songs especially for the "In the Embrace of Evil”. They were "Church of the Pentagram" and "Ripped from the Cross", so two of the very earliest Grotesque songs. And man, what a stunning result, I just love these two pieces. The sound quality is great. Both songs, even though are so old, have been rearranged and definitely the band did great job with them. It's not the same as their old rehearsal versions. Maybe some people will prefer the old rehearsal versions, I don't. These new recordings definitely captured the essence of old Grotesque and with such good production, it all clicks fantastically. Obviously it was also the last thing, which this band has ever recorded. Luckily it doesn't seem like they would ever want to exhume it from the grave again.

Standout tracks: "Incantation", "Spawn of Azathoth", "Church of the Pentagram", "Submit to Death"
Verdict: 90/100

I've waited a long time to lay my hands on this one, seeking down expensive and rare copies of it on CD, before finally finding it with At The Gate's Gardens of Grief for a much better price than I had previously imagines. And was it worth the wait? Fuck yes!

The songs on this release are from several different periods in the band's evolution, so the sound can vary quite drastically. Earlier songs really bring to mind Sepultura's Bestial Devastation in terms of production and playing, with quite a few mistakes that are easily overlooked in favour of the absolutely badass rawness of this album. The songs are rather technical, both in terms of structure and riffing, which weave asphyxiating tentacles around your neck and drag you into this nightmarish journey. "Angels Blood" is an especially long, epic number with quite a few changes of tempo and mood, and is counterbalanced by short, intense songs like "Spawn of Azathoth" and "Torn from the Cross," both of which feature sweltering, churning riffs. Tomas Lindberg's performance isn't too deathly, nor screechy, but a perfect, schizoid mix of the two, barking out a incessant malevolent lyrics to terrorize you.

Acoustics pop up in a few places, but only once or twice, and to great effect, and there are one or two tasty leads that give a very, very brief sense of melody amidst the chaotic whammy dives and shredding that dominate. Keyboards are also featured, very sparingly, I may add, but also to great effect, not a stone's throw from Dark Throne's Soulside Journey.

Two elements that really impress me here are the guitar tone and the drumming. That guitar tone is thick, kind of muddy and slick, similar to ATG's debut album, but a dead ringer for Liers In Wait (well, Necrolord was the guitarist and chief song writer in there too). On the earlier tracks, you can definately tell the production wasn't the best, because it doesn't have the sustain it could have, but you still have that thick sound. A few of the tracks feature Alf Svensson, and those are quite interesting, because you can hear the great difference between Necrolord and Alf, both of whom play different riffs, much like early ATG, but much more evil, of course.

I'm not sure who drums on all these tracks, and I was hoping that it was Shamaatae from Arckanum (he was one of their early drummers), but who ever it is, they are certainly impressive. The fills are all tasteful, and he never misses a beat. The blasting sections on some of the early material don't hold up very well, however, but that's about the only thing I can complain about on here.

I have called this proto-death metal, because it's not quite the death metal you normally associate with Sweden, and has a lot of totally kick as thrash-y riffs. Imagine if Morbid Angel had taken a different, slightly slower route after Abominations of Desolation, and inserted a bit of early Sepultura and Sodom into their mix...that's a bit of what this is like. This is evil, twisted death metal, the way it is supposed to be done, and is absolutely mandatory for all fans of Scandinavian metal in general.

When someone thinks about Tomas Lindberg, they usually picture the tremendous singer's performances in At The Gates and The Crown. Though Lindberg has been involved with multiple memorable acts, one of his first groups remains an unearthed gem that many folks have either ignored or forgotten about. Before At The Gates became metal champions, Lindberg was apart of a band that has been repressed and omitted in the metal world as we know it: the mighty Grotesque.

For those unfamiliar, Grotesque was a pitch-black death metal squad that only lasted a few years before splitting up. Though the band's era was brief, Grotesque recorded an EP and a handful of demos that were monstrous hits in Swedish underground. The faction disbanded shortly thereafter, but the narrow time the band existed was a damn good period of hearty death metal. With the group clearly done and gone, a compilation titled "In The Embrace Of Evil" gathered all of Grotesque's blasphemous material and added to one unholy disc that shows the onslaught and potential this awesome act was capable of.

Grotesque played a magnetic type of death metal with present traits of black metal and thrash during their few years of activity. There are hyper-speed riffs from start to finish with some acoustic parts occasionally tossed in for haunting effects and added seasoning. A few of the tunes have a fantastic transition of explosive, speedy riffs that switch to a mid-paced rocker which continues to repeat like a swinging pendulum. The solo effort walks hand-in-hand with the riffs in terms of excellence and the euphoric impression it leaves upon the listener. The percussion sounds rather comparable to other death metal bands, but the outstanding alteration between blastbeats and fast patterns make the drumming sound surprisingly delightful and original.

"In The Embrace Of Evil" also captures Grotesque's various experimentations that lack death metal elements, but not perfection. I typically find intro tracks to be a waste of time, but Grotesque was able to make some the most masterful admission songs I've ever heard. The compilation opens with the haunting "Thirteen Bells Of Doom" that has faded goat bleats and dark church bells whilst "Seven Gates" uses a whispered prayer that's surrounded with mysterious acoustic licks and samples of falling rain. Though almost all of the stuff here is death metal, a few of the songs sound more thrash influenced than anything else. "Nocturnal Blasphemies" and "Fallen In Decay" are heavily driven by thrash riffs rather than the standard death metal design used throughout this disc.

Tomas Lindberg's vocal style during his extraordinary phase in Grotesque sounds nothing like any of his other singing performances. Lindberg is mainly known for his association with the "feather-weight" growling approach he used during his stay in At The Gates, but here, Tomas sounds like Satan himself. Tomas's deep, tortured growls parallel the ruthless death metal assault on every level with memorable utilization and flawless precision. Lindberg will also occasionally mix up his vocal performances by adding shrieks or morbid laughs to his already stellar growling. Call me crazy, but this anthology is some of the best stuff Lindberg has ever done.

It's a real shame that Grotesque was shunned from reality only after a few years of existence. A lot of the stuff here is just demo material, but the song writing and playing is better than what some bands could produce in a career. Try to hunt this one down!

All I can say is, "Wow." It doesn't get much better than this. This is one of the greatest bands ever. It's a shame that they didn't release more material. This is a nice mix of black, death, and thrash metal. Vocally, it is blackened death metal. I like Tomas Lindberg's vocals more here than in anything that he did with At the Gates. Very thrashy guitar riffs abound, pushed along by the fast-paced drums. An evil overtone pervades the atmosphere on this album. The production is great, though it varies a bit between the different recordings. It is truly a sad thing that this band didn't last longer. They could probably be one of the bigger bands of today if they were still around. Underground heroes are a must though.

Stand-out tracks: "Blood Runs From the Altar", "Submit to Death", "Angels' Blood", "Incantation", and "Ripped from the Cross".