h, the heyday of ugly CGI album covers, not even worthy of a PlayStation 1 cutscene... How many bands inflicted such horrors upon us in the late 90s and early 2000s? Some even dared to carry it on into the early 2010s, particularly in metal, where conservatism often reigns supreme, even when it comes to perpetuating new trends that were already stale when they first emerged. With the artwork for "Life?", GLOOMY GRIM immediately imposed their bad taste. Especially that of their boss and chief composer, guilty of having created this "masterpiece" on his computer.
Finally, the bad taste of Agathon and his henchmen, whether visual or musical, was already quite evident on their first album, the incongruous and amusing "Blood, Monsters, Darkness". The mediocrity of the music and the weakness of its "haunted house" theme didn't exactly encourage taking the album seriously. Nor did the female vocals of Whisper Lilith, who are absent from this second full-length album, as her relationship with the leader and frontman had broken up before GLOOMY GRIM even began recording. Out with the young lady, and in with some slightly more male-dominated additional vocals.
On this point, it can't be said that the Finnish band truly benefited from the change, as the poor "backing vocals" (in quotation marks) are hardly any better than the vocal flourishes of the young woman with the demonic stage name. Where GLOOMY GRIM did gain some muscle, however, was in the guitar department. Now, on "Life?", the rhythms they lay down provide a solid foundation for Agathon's compositions and keyboard lines, which remain the driving force of the band's music. While they still play on the theme of horror, his synth parts are no longer alone: they ride the famous guitar rhythms with much more confidence. This becomes clear very quickly after "Arrival Of The Antichrist," which throws us off the scent by trying to make us think we're about to hear "Blood, Monsters, Darkness, Volume 2." Indeed, when the admittedly unspectacular "Born In Fire" bursts onto the scene, we sense that GLOOMY GRIM's intentions are no longer quite the same. The fact remains that the album struggles to take off… This first real track and its successor, "The Chosen One," no longer leave the impression of a good joke, like the tracks on the first album, but rather a feeling of utter boredom. Yes, GLOOMY GRIM hits harder. Yes, they sound more solid. Yes, they're less caricatured. But no, we're not yet won over by their style. Nevertheless, not everything on this second album is a complete write-off. Some well-judged influences can be heard, and their integration is quite effective. I'm thinking in particular of the pre-"Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" DIMMU BORGIR inspiration that hovers over "Mistress Of The Stormblast" and, to a lesser extent, "Revelation 666." The synthetic yet emphatic keyboard parts have their own little effect. By 2000, GLOOMY GRIM's Grand Guignol-esque Black Metal no longer necessarily carried the Horror Metal label, but the haunted house aspect of these two tracks is infinitely more effective than that of "Blood, Monsters, Darkness," despite its self-proclaimed status. Along with the successful "Redeemer," the first track released from this album during the heyday of sampler CDs in Metal magazines, the two aforementioned tracks form not a weak point, but rather the sculpted core of "Life?".
First, the repetitive nature of the main melody in "Mistress Of The Stormblast," followed by its calmer, more enigmatic sections adorned with bowed strings, intrigues the listener, and one returns to the track with pleasure. Then, the alternation between mid-tempo and more energetic sections in "Revelation 666" lends a welcome energy to this more refined track, highlighting the sinister aspect intended by Agathon. There's also a touch of solemnity about it. Finally, "Redeemer" definitively reconnects with the horror element that has always driven GLOOMY GRIM. Great care has been taken with the overall atmosphere of the track, and its catchiness is undeniable. I'd even go so far as to say it's the band's best composition since their debut. At least, at this point in their career.
It's a shame the rest of the album doesn't live up to the same standard. "Elder Ones" tries to follow in the somber footsteps of its immediate predecessor on the tracklist, but with less success. It shows a GLOOMY GRIM already struggling for inspiration, as the track seems to go in circles halfway through. "My Domain" is tedious, as it's a rehash of the tracks that came before it. "Heralds Of Pestilence" also lacks imagination compared to the rest of the album, and its length of over five minutes weighs it down a bit, like some other tracks on "Life?". As for the purely instrumental synth track "To The Death," it's anecdotal, to say the least… Only "At The Gates," with its piano lines, offers a more interesting approach, with Agathon playing the emotion card, which is rather refreshing, even if the horror imagery isn't far off and resurfaces in the end in a more predictable second half. "At The Gates" showcases that typical Finnish melodic touch, usually found in melodic death metal and melodic black metal, and hearing it within the theatrical black metal of GLOOMY GRIM is a welcome addition. It's also gratifying to see that after a debut album bordering on—and perhaps deliberately embracing—the ridiculous, the Helsinki band has managed to produce genuinely solid and engaging tracks. Alas, they are still too few and far between for the group to aspire to higher status.
Sample:
youtube.com/watch?v=qm8Qk8T7SqY&list=RDqm8Qk8T7SqY&start_radio=1&t=2555s
