Review by: Michael Obrien - The Metal Forge Webzine - 2008

Well hasn't Western Australia swiftly become the seething hotbed of Australian metal lately? Our western comrades can now safely add one more notch to their belt with the debut release from brutal death metal band Grotesque.

Museum Of Human Disease is a surprisingly polished debut album from the fledgling four piece whose core sound comprises a mix of brutal and technical death metal. It is a flurry of shifting riffs, pummelling drums, and guttural vocals - much like any other brutal death metal album you might observe, and this is quite true, but the quality of the material on this album speaks for itself.

Often there isn't a lot to differentiate the multitude of bands in this sub genre, but in the case of Grotesque their hook is that a mammoth proportion of the guitar work is centred around highly accurate sweep picking riffs. To be honest, this isn't something that I would have considered particularly appropriate to the brutal death metal genre before hearing it, but now that I have my fears have been allayed because it actually works extremely well for the band and adds an element of originality to the album.

The technical prowess of each member of the band is clearly visible on every moment of this album. Each song seamlessly blends chopping and changing riffs with plenty of rhythmic change-ups thrown in for good measure. For a debut release it is remarkably tight and coherent and thus offers perhaps a slight glimpse into what heights the band may be able to reach later on in the future.

As far as the sound is concerned, I would have preferred that the album had a little more bottom end to it. It certainly doesn't come across overly weak or anything like that but it could have done with some more bass to really give it a solid punch. That aside, the production is fantastically clear and is mixed extremely well.

It's a positive sign when the only thing about an album to criticise is its sound, and truthfully, that's the only negative thing I can say here. The band have nailed the music in their chosen field and have turned out a hugely enjoyable debut album. (9/10)

Review source: Grotesque - Museum Of Human Disease

Review by: Exo666 - Death Metal Webzine - 2008

If I let go of my usual suspiciousness when reading promosheets, I have to believe that Grotesque is one of Australia's prominent death metalbands. Praised with nothing but the most fitting descriptions, Grotesque promises to satisfy - with their debut - the fans of bands like Necrophagist, Suffocation, and Decrepit Birth. If that's true, my congratulations to the band and a big fat score below this review. Let's take a listen...

My first impression: I wouldn't feel cheated if I bought this CD based on the promotional talk. But that doesn't make Grotesque the next Necrophagist, of course. Fact is, the band has its technical capabilities and exploits them to the fullest: a bass lead here, lots of nervous and tight guitarriffs, and (excellent) machine-gun drumming. Tracks like "Internal Dimensions" show the guitar's lead prowess in all its glory and, in their whole, don't fail to impress. I do have the impression sometimes the compositions aren't entirely calibrated to the genre. Grotesque employs both the technical riffery as the slower, crushing style. In the first two minutes of the album, we get two passages of both - and I doubt whether I should call it variety or indecision. When the groove is on, don't switch to technical wizardy, or vice versa. In tracks like "Pulsating Cosmos" I don't mind that kind of songwriting because of its intensity and unmistakable resemblance to Deeds Of Flesh - the trick of playing 100 riffs in a song is awesome if it works out.

I just think Grotesque could use a second guitarplayer: it would make the riffs overtly more brutal and would allow another (harmonized) layer to add to the technical complexity. It would - if executed properly - make the sound simply complete. No matter if you dig this sort of death metal, it's hard to negate Grotesque's potential. Immense musicianship makes this album into what it is, with the songwriting a bit slacking behind - but I'm sure that's fixed by the second album. It's been a long time since I said this, but this is a band to keep an eye on in the future. (83/100)

Review source: Grotesque - Museum Of Human Disease