Ghoul - We Came For The Dead

1. Graveyard Mosh / Ghoul
2. Rot Gut
3. Tomb After Tomb
4. We Came for the Dead
5. Soon, They'll Scream
6. From Death to Dust
7. Coffins and Curios
8. Suspicious Chunks
9. Skull Beneath the Skin


We Came for the Dead!!! is Ghoul's 2002 debut album released by Razorback Records. The lyrics in this album are based on the stories of the three band members (Dissector joined Ghoul after the release of We Came for the Dead!!!), as well as the introduction of their conspirator, Mr. Fang.

Album Reviews:
This is an album that makes death metal and thrash proud. This is pure metal worship, paying homage to bands like Carcass, Death, and Megadeth. Catchy thrash riffs that gives you the urge to violently thrust your head back and forth. You could really hear the old school Anthrax and Megadeth influence in the riffing. Three different vocals attacks: the decipherable growly Carcass-style vocals, deep thick death metal growls, and those inhuman gurgles coming from the bellows of a monster. Drums never get all blurry, that's a good thing. You could hear the clear pounding unlike in a lot of other death/grind bands that do nothing but blindly throw in sloppy blast beats just because they can. There's solos in just about every song, not the most technical but damn good and still requires guitar shredding skill, works with their formula of simple old school hardcore thrash modified with the intense elements of death metal. Easy to get caught up in their infectious grooves, which they produce continuously. The intros some of the songs have got a creepy Halloween atmosphere. There really isn't anything to complain about, they give you all the solid qualities you want in metal: Good riffs, good solos, good drumming, good growls, good everything, nothing to bitch about. If you haven't heard Ghoul yet, you have no idea what you're missing. Death metal, grind/splatter/gore, thrash, hell, maybe even power metal fans, can salute Ghoul for this pure metal masterpiece that reminds us all of why we love metal in the first place. Gotta love that violent comic-style album cover too.


GHOUL - We Came For The Dead !!! (Razorback Records~2002)
Wow ! This is top notch Gore Death that has a good amount of humour and skill involved. The band, who has taken a liking to the old style horror movie themes, is made up of three guys who all take on vocal duties providing a multi faceted arrangement of gurgling, throaty and rough growls. The guitar excellence is demonstrated by the fact that not only is it full and crunchy but you also get some kick ass solos throughout ! These guys pay homage to some of the top Death / Grind bands (CARCASS, AUTOPSY, MACABRE) and do it damn well ! As an added bonus they also manage to spice up MEGADETH´s 'Skull Beneath The Skin'. So, if you miss CARCASS (especially, as I see the strongest influence coming from them) and love quality Death / Grind then don´t hesitate for a minute to head to http://www.razorbackrecords.com and order yourself this latest release by the undead. An outstanding album !

Download? - Click Here ( Ghoul - We Came For The Dead.zip)

Ghoul - Splatterthrash

Ghoul - Splatterthrash
Releases: 06/06/2006
Razorback

A definite potential member of the Top 3 Albums of 2006, Splatterthrash seizes the nipples and rips flesh quicker than Lloyd Kauffman releases trashy b-movies for Troma Entertainment. Come to think of it, the album might make a good soundtrack for any number of Kauffman’s future releases.

Though these are supposedly the same musicians that comprise Impaled, Ghoul is a completely different animal. Incorporating enough elements inherent in a number of separate genres, Splatterthrash is an interesting listen, and, to say the least, makes it hard for a critic to pin down any one genre for comparison. Thrash, death, grind, punk, and even what might be described as psychobilly, courtesy of “Psychoplasm” and “Baron Samedi,” make themselves welcome guests on this collection of a wonderfully diverse thirteen songs.

Gang vocals work well for such a delectably schizophrenic aesthetic and contribute to the greater sense of variety (and fun). The effect is a bit different from Impaled, because song structures actually seem a bit tighter here, with choruses acting as glue for the insane thrash solos, grind sections, and mosh parts. Each vocal style contributes to an instrumental element, with the cleaner vocals highlighting the mosh parts and the raspy vocals slicing through the harsher, denser and technically demanding passages.

Don’t be too concerned if you don’t like death, grind or Impaled, because the elements pushed more obviously to the forefront are thrash and crossover, especially in terms of the mosh and thrash passages carrying most of the album through its entirety; think Funerot (for the faster mosh sections) meets early U.S. thrash (strictly in terms of the solos). Horror enthusiasts will also have a field day, because, go figure, the lyrics are well-crafted and pretty poetic given the anxiously psychotic feel of the music itself: “As your casket’s covered, feel the cruel hand of time / Ectoplasmic tendrils, enveloping in slime / Apparitions wail from the mould infested crypts / Skin begins to peel, turn to gelatin, and drip.” Some have complained of the sound not feeling as cohesive as it could on previous releases Maniaxe and We Came for the Dead, but trust me when I say that while I was able to dissect and attempt to isolate differing genre-specific elements, you won’t do this yourself while listening because they are integrated so seamlessly. The lyrics serve as an additional layer and you will want to take the time to decipher them, because they really do act as the core of Ghoul’s horror aesthetic.

Obviously, Ghoul cannot be so simply reduced as to be labeled an Impaled offshoot. With a sound, storyline, and aim all its own, this Oakland foursome, rusty knives in hand, carved its own niche into the dirtied, whorish tissue of metal’s black lungs. For that feat alone, Splatterthrash should be celebrated. The fact that they manage to perfect sound and story on their third full-length in four years makes them worthy of your worship, or at the very least, your money.


Track List:
1. Into the Catacombs
2. As Your Casket Closes
3. Bury the Hatchet
4. Merde!
5. Cult of the Hunter
6. Mutant Mutilator
7. Psychoplasm
8. Splatterthrash
9. Gutbucket Blues
10. Rise, Killbot, Rise!!!
11. Life of the Living Dead
12. Baron Samedi

Download? - Click Here (Ghoul - Splatterthrash.zip)

Ghoul - Maniaxe

Ghoul "Maniaxe" CD
[Razorback]
Holy crap! If anyone continues to compare Ghoul to Carcass they're stupid. In fact, anyone who continues to compare Ghoul to Carcass should be shot for being a lazy and incompetent fuckwad with no ear for metal, because aside from the vocals (be they nasty low growls or midrange sneers) this is a fucking blistering thrash metal attack like I haven't heard in quite a long time. The speed is there, complete with classic thrash picking patterns and hints of melody, there are tons of raging slow breaks, shredding solos, the works... Awesome. And what's even better is that this reminds me of classic American thrash - a sound that most contemporary bands have yet to successfully harness. I could definitely deal without the cheesy and unnecessary spoken vocals in "Ghoul Hunter", even if they do namedrop Anthrax and Megadeth, but pretty much all of the other songs are rippers, and the title track is so fucking badass that it practically makes up for everything. The cover of "What a Wonderful World" is pretty hilarious as well... who would've thought? The production is pretty nice. The guitar tone is damn near perfect, the bass plunks away in the background, and the drums aren't bad. They even have an 80's sort of sound to them - they're somewhat flimsy at times, but that fits believe it or not. I still think the guitars and bass need to dominate more, but it sounds very fucking good, so fuck it. The cover art is sort of reminiscent of Gwar, and the illustrations are all fucking awesome. But I honestly think the rest of the layout is weak just because it's sort of plain and doesn't fit in with the awesome lettering drawn on the front cover. I don't know. It's not a setback or anything, but it could be a hell of a lot better. Do you really need lyrical examples? All I'm gonna say is that "Boneless" combines the band's usual horror flare with skateboarding, so... choke on that shit! This is a great disc. I'd shit my pants if these guys would drop the humor and be a dead serious fucking thrash act, but whatever. I can't understand most of the vocals anyway, so I can deal with horror and gore as long as they continue to back it up with riffs like these! I really want to give this an 8/10, but weak tracks like "Ghoul Hunter" and "The End?" are a waste of time and really hinder the overall energy and impact that the rest of the album harnesses, making it a little bit frustrating to take in as a whole. This band keeps getting better and better, though. If they keep this up they'll rip everyone a new asshole or two the next time around. (7/10)
Running time - 34:38, Tracks: 10

Download? - Click Here (Ghoul - Maniaxe.zip)