Ok, will someone please explain to me how this isn’t an Asphyx record? It’s the trio that released the legendary The Rack (Eric Daniels, Martin Van Drunen and Bob Bagchus) two of which went on to form the post Asphyx band Soulburn, as well as a current member of the the new Asphyx (Alwin Zuur) and a guy who has served in Hail of Bullets (Theo Van Eekelen). It’s a supergroup of a other super groups basically. Sound wise, it’s the same sound, same tone and delivery as The Rack, Van Drunen’s voice is, well Van Drunen and while this is possibly even more classic Asphyx sounding than even the last Asphyx release, Deathhammer, it all seems a little redundant.
That does not make GSBC any less enjoyable, as it certainly fulfills any old school Asphyx/Pestilence sounds to a tee, and does it with a huge, robust sound that absolutely recalls a remastered version of The Rack. The focus is on mid paced, occasionally galloping Dutch death metal with an emphasis on some massive gristly chugging doomy sections. Considering all the incestuous Dutch death metal projects of late, it isn’t bringing anything new to the table, and of course lacks the unit moving Asphyx moniker, but you could make a little Asphyx logo/sticker to put over the GSBC logo on the CD and could easily slip this right after The Rack in your CD collection. I’d hate to mess up the alphabetization.
Heck, the album even ends with a lengthy almost ten minute huge doomy number (“… And Thus the Billions Shall Burn”) – sound familiar? But as a whole the album is a lot of simple fun, the guitars tone buzzes with a caustic low end that’s an acidic wall of noise and the slower, churning section are just paint peeling ( especially “Fed to the Boars” and “There Shall Be No Acquittance”). Even if the actual songs are utter The Rack do-overs, that is good enough for me and will be good enough for most of you to enjoy despite the sort of death metal take on legal/court terms in the lyrics and band members pseudonyms (“Behead the Defence”,”There Shall Be No Acquittance”, “Veredictium Sanguis”,”Grand Justice Grand Pain”).
I might be a little jaded even with the quality of this other wise enjoyable release as Van Drunen is everywhere now, and they all basically seem to be Asphyx sounding projects that have a lot in common. And of course with Van Drunen’s distinct voice, they are identical so vocally, maybe I’m a a little Drunen’d out, but this is still a solid release that I’m liking more than Deathhammer. Yes I said that.
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why can’t every band have a name as good as Grand Supreme Blood Court?
on Feb 7th, 2013 at 07:48Every one thinks exactly the same thing (better than Deathhammer)
on Feb 22nd, 2013 at 00:54I have trouble understanding how anyone could like this more than Deathhammer unless you have an aversion to doom because this is basically a mostly death metal version of Asphyx, which makes it a bit too samey to my ears. It’s still a good album, but nowhere near as great as Deathhammer.
on Feb 22nd, 2013 at 09:44