After listening to this album, there is no longer any reason to question the choice of Nick Holmes on vocals. While doubts were raised regarding whether the vocalist best known for his work with Paradise Lost would be a fitting contributor to what is ultimately a death metal supergroup, those doubts can justifiably be erased. While noticeably different from the vocals of predecessors Mikael Åkerfeldt and Peter Tägtgren, Holmes proves that he can adapt to the style of vocals required for a Bloodbath album. Simply put, the vocals work.
Opening the album with ‘Let The Stillborn Come To Me’, Bloodbath immediately provides an assault on the eardrums. The entire album provides exactly what a Bloodbath fan would hope for: namely well orchestrated, technical precision. After all, this is a band containing musicians with pretty impressive resumes. Grand Morbid Funeral changes tempo in the right places. The old-school death metal influences are evident (as they always are on Bloodbath releases). While Grand Morbid Funeral certainly won’t change your mind if you do not already like death metal, it is a solid representation of the genre. It’s hard, heavy and fast, overall a good listen.
