first time
Chelsea Grin had the audacity to found a deathcore band in Salt Lake City, the Mormon capital of the world and one of the most strictly religious cities in western society. Their 2013 set at Groezrock made a profound impression and 2014’s ‘Ashes to Ashes’ helped pave the way for the much heavier ‘Self Inflicted’ (2016). ‘Eternal Nightmare’ (2018) is easily their most brutal offering to date and the range of new lead singer and former Lorna Shore vocalist Tom Barber opened up a new realm of possibilities for the band, some of which were explored on ‘Eternal Nightmare’ with the occasional hardcore and thrash nod. Like so many bands, Chelsea Grin made the most of the COVID episode to record new material. The first part of a two-album split, ‘Suffer in Hell’ (2022) pushes the boat out further than ever before by venturing into darkly symphonic territory, generously laced with black metal, whereas Tom Barber explores every inch of his vocal range with contributions ranging from narrative-style vocals to monstrous growls. Part two, ‘Suffer in Heaven’, is slated for a March 2023 release.#GMM23
