### Grotesquary: Tales from the crypt

#### 24/04/12 || Smalley

Despite the stupid band name and hackneyed, imagination-less EP title, “Tales…” actually starts off well, with ominous clean guitar and nicely campy, gothic lead guitarwork, followed by some doomy riffing that maintains good synergy with the leads. It’s somewhat similar to “The oath” on “Anthems to the welkin…”, in how it’s an intro that actually accomplishes something (establishing a tangible mood), but the next track switches things up sharply with “Angel of death”-like chugging, and growls that sounds like a cross between “Pleasure to kill” and more traditional black metal. Some of the subsequent tracks take a doomier path, with more guttural, death growls, so things aren’t super-original here, but at least Grotesquary cribs off a number of different influences instead of just one (glare at Ektomorf).

They do what the’re doing decently, with decently catchy songwriting, and have an okay grasp on their instrument skills. Plus, the production isn’t bad at all for a stub album, especially for being the band’s very first commercial recording, so I have to chalk this up to be one of the rare success stories in this section.

7.5: Fuck me with a golden dildo (please??), this stuff is actually pretty good.