GORY BLISTER – Skymorphosis

Fifteen years have pasted since Gory Blister recorded their debut demo tape, Spoilt By Greed, which was followed by Hanging Down the Sound. These two demos received quite good reviews throughout the Italian Metal Press, slowly creating a solid fan base. The first “serious” exposure happened with the release of the mini-CD, Cognitive Sinergy, seeing the light of the day sometime in 1997. A record deal was offered to these Italians, giving them the potential of releasing the full-length album entitled Art Bleeds.

Gory Blister’s musical influences come from the musical branch that Chuck Schuldiner (R.I.P. 12/13/01) created with his groundbreaking work in Death. His idea of mixing advanced technical musicianship with brutal riffing produced historical albums like Human (1991) and Sound of Perseverance (1998).

The year is 2006, and Gory Blister return with a brand new record deal with Mascot Records and their second full-length musical child named Skymorphosis.

“Procession to Apocalypse” is a short atmospheric Orchestral intro that takes the listener to the strange paths of technical Death Metal. Then, “Asteroid” kicks in and the musical influences mentioned above materialize in the form of tempo changes, sophisticated guitar riffs, and the trademark high-pitched vocal growls. “Sailing to Achernar” comes next with a powerful drum groove with fast double pedaling, followed by aggressive guitar work. The musical structure of “Skymorphosis” with the headbanging rhythm section justifies the choice of Gory Blister for the Tribute To Death album released by the Chinese label AreaDeath Production.

“Skin Legacy” is just the intro for the “Skymorphosis’s” second part named “Blood Sweating Wall,” where the rhythm guitars have something from the heaviness of the almighty Machine Head. The composing potential of the Italians are unfolded during the 6 minutes of the emotional “I Shall Hang Myself.” The brutal guitar riff, the clean guitar tempo breaks, and the atmospheric electric sounds simply give birth to the best track of the album.

The Death Metal trip to the dark corners of space continues passing some “Quasars,” through the “Black Canvas,” and finally reaching the mid-tempo track “The Missing Planet.” The electronic sounds and effects create a personal sound for these Italians, while supporting the lyrical content of Skymorphosis.

Some growls and screams open for the track “Shader,” where the driving groove can provide some quality moshing time. A display of fast lead guitar performance provides a short intermission before “Shader’s” second part, which comes with the title “The Soul-Slitters.” The lyrics of the song are about the bloody end of mankind by an alien form of life, so the musical character is fast and brutal.

In the end, there is a small treat in the form of a bonus track that is the band’s entry in the Tribute To Death compilation. The band performs “1000 Eyes” from the Symbolic album, with respect to Death’s indisputable contribution to the extreme sound.

Without any doubt, Gory Blister prove that not only can they perform, but they can offer things in the most demanding territory of this avant-garde form of Death Metal. Everyone who has Chuck deep in his heart should check out this album. It justifies the band saying “Death Metal is a form of Art.”