Fetid Zombie - Grotesque Creation

Fetid Zombie

Grotesque Creation

by Marcos “Big Daddy” Garcia at 03 May 2015, 10:16 PM

When we are dealing with Death Metal, we must have a lot of care. Yes, because there are times that bands runs away from eroded formulas and come to play something different from the usual. And in the United States, the things sometimes really can take us by surprise. And FETID ZOMBIE, coming from Virginia, really astonished “Big Daddy” here a lot with their new album, “Grotesque Creation”.

It’s a one-man band, but it has personality and its creative in a level rarely seen. The musical influences are from bands from the 80’s and principle of the 90’s, but on FETID ZOMBIE work, we see many influences coming from bands like MERCYFUL FATE, something from ROTTING CHRIST (due the darkened and morbid melodies they used on the beginning), and earlier bands that influenced Death Metal, as CELTIC FROST and others. It’s not an easy task to describe this album, but we can say that the vocals are using a great range of tunes (from a particular way of using guttural vocals, along with clean ones, whispered voices, even classical ones, and some harsh and high pitched screams), excellent guitar riffs and solos (running away from the buzz and brutal sound we are used to hear, with some excellent and melodic moments), bass and drums with very good technical approach without losing the heavy sound they must have, and some darkened keyboards to create a morbid atmosphere. To be completely honest with you all, I’d never label FETID ZOMBIE work as Death Metal. I’d label it as Metal, and that’s enough.

The sound quality is good, but a bit nasty and raw in some points. But in the case of this album, it’s a feature that belongs to it. No cleaner production could be better than this one we have on “Grotesque Creation”.

This Zombie has many things to show to us on these nine tracks.

Better moments: “Into the Unknown” and its morbid riffs in a melodic and old school format (melodic, darkened and aggressive), “Grotesque Creation” (very good vocals and fine work on guitars once more), the melodic and abrasive “The Way of Mortality”, the morbid and mid tempo paced “Utterance of Doom” (very good keyboards), and the great finale with “The Outstretched Hand of Rotten Death” (very good technical bass guitars and excellent vocals once more).

Perfect!