Grim Scary Tales

Last updated
Grim Scary Tales
Grim Scary Tales.jpg
Studio album by
Macabre
ReleasedJanuary 31, 2011
Genre
Length49:36
Label Hammerheart, Willowtip
Producer Geoff Montgomery
Macabre chronology
Murder Metal
(2003)		Grim Scary Tales
(2011)		 Carnival of Killers
(2020)

Grim Scary Tales is the fifth album by American extreme metal band Macabre released in 2011. The album cover depicts the notorious Romanian prince Vlad the Impaler holding a goblet filled with blood. The album focuses on historical figures famous for killing people, such as Vlad Tepes, Countess Bathory, Gilles de Rais, and Nero. [1] It has been described as "primitive death metal, occasionally erupting into nursery rhyme or cartoon-theme melodies, and the vocals go back and forth between guttural growls and high-pitched, hoarse shrieking". [1] It is also Macabre's first release since Murder Metal in 2003. [2]

Contents

Concept

The album focuses on historical figures famous for killing people, such as Vlad Tepes, Countess Bathory, Gilles de Rais, and Nero. [1] Corporate Death described the album concept as "document[ing] the history of murder from the earliest recorded killers in chronological order", and suggested that there would be a second part "finish[ing] the timeline". [3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

George Pacheco, in About.com, described Grim Scary Tales as "more of a novelty than anything else, despite the band's crisp, thrash riffs and steamroller rhythms" and suggested the album "isn't really worth more than a few cursory, curious spins at best". [1] Allmusic's Phil Freeman was also ambivalent about the album, suggesting that "longtime Macabre fans, who find depth in the band's lyrical fixations, will doubtless be thrilled at their heroes' return. Most metalheads, and everyone else, can safely skip this one, though". [4]

Track listing

  1. "Locusta" – 2:57 - Locusta
  2. "Nero's Inferno" – 2:43 - Nero
  3. "The Black Knight" – 4:05 - Gilles de Rais
  4. "Dracula" – 5:10 - Vlad Tepes
  5. "The Big Bad Wolf" – 4:06 - Gilles Garnier
  6. "Countess Bathory" (Venom cover) – 3:26 - Elizabeth Bathory
  7. "Burke and Hare" – 4:17 - Brendan "Dynes" Burke and William Hare
  8. "Mary Ann" – 3:27 - Mary Ann Cotton
  9. "The Bloody Benders" – 2:46 - The Bender Family
  10. "Lizzie Borden" – 1:33 - Lizzie Borden
  11. "The Ripper Tramp from France" – 3:38 - Joseph Vacher
  12. "Bella the Butcher" – 3:00 - Belle Gunness
  13. "The Kiss of Death" – 3:24 - Béla Kiss
  14. "The Sweet Tender Meat Vendor" - 5:04 - Carl Großmann

Credits

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Pacheco, George. "Macabre - Grim Scary Tales". About.com. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ Metal Archives
  3. ↑ Bowar, Chad. "Macabre Interview: A Conversation with Vocalist/Guitarist Corporate Death". About.com. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Freeman, Phil. "Macabre - Grim Scary Tales". Allmusic. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
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