What we got here is a real mongrel of genre hopping: Based on death metal, but groove metal runs deep in it, too. This is the second, and last, of Gomorrah albums. They hailed from England, formed in 1990 and probably got lost in their own paradoxal music.

However, this album is a duff plan gone not too badly. The album begins with groovy stuff, like Pro-Pain and Soulfly colliding. Some rhythmically spoken words (rap?) and stop-and-go riffing, plus similar drumming and funky bass. But soon the stronger genes surface: The death metal bits are very English indeed. Somewhat doomy and melancholic, quite Paradise Lost influenced (1991 classic album 'Gothic', for example), with a lot of harmonic guitar playing. But it's also heavier at times, reminding of Benediction and such British utilizers of blunt, if totally effective, violence. Then there's some Cathedral-esque moments (and especially 'The Ethereal Mirror' [1993] style stuff), one shining example of this is 'Mastery, Infinity & Separation', at 2-minute mark. Now we're talking! After all, this was released by Black Mark Production, so this gloomier death metal side was more than predictable, despite how the album begins. Horror/gothic synthesizer used every now and then is bit of a gimmick, but doesn't annoy or cause any damage to the songs. They actually sound different to what we usually get in metal music.

The groove metal elements are the biggest disadvantage here, and that drive to the compositional trap the band had painted themselves into a corner, with no escape. Admittedly, the song structures suck at times. It simply doesn't feel when the band jumps from death metal dirge to jump-da-fuck-up tomfoolery and back again! Check out the magnificent start of '33 Utopia', and then how it breaks into grooving, before it goes to faster death metal... Listening to this can be a real mindfuck, to tell the truth. Then again, I love how the songs break to guitar solos and melodies without any expectancy from a listener. Generally, the album keeps on going forward, going is just more bumpy once in a while.

Mainly, the vocals remind me of Bolt Thrower's Karl Willetts, when he's sounding more human. Not a lot of low growling here, but brutal enough, more like varying between raspy voice, growl and snarl. There's also this moist, "I'm gonna break to cry" voice here and there. It's all very rhythmic, like keeping pauses during a word, hitting the beat with a syllable. Also, some gothic singing style is heard, like keeping it rough, but hardly hitting the notes. In lyrics, reality and mythology become one. Philosophical and streetwise mixed. They are one of the better traits of this album.

This does not sound like death metal album. Overally, the sound is powerful. It's pretty thick yet everything is audible. It's akin to some Overkill albums, such as 'Horrorscope' and 'I Hear Black' (released in 1991 and 1993 respectively); metal yet rocking. The cover art is pretty damn grotesque, huh?! In a B-movie way, that is.

What could have been a massive disaster, at least figuratively, as I do not know how popular or not the band was, might have tripped a few times, but never fell on it's face to never got up again. I think 'Caress the Grotesque' is just that much distinct a bastard, that one cannot but feel a bit sorry for it, kind of sympathetic way. It was on my trade list a couple of times, but I love British metal, and I certainly can tolerate groove elements to some point, so I'm gonna keep this as a peculiar item in my collection. Mindrot (USA) is a bit similar experience, minus the British feel of Gomorrah.

Rating: 6½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
03/14/2016 21:44