Bone Fragments- Too Gruesome To Be Real

When I first heard the band Bone Fragments described I was immediately interested. When listening to Bone Fragments many things may pop into the listeners head, things like, odd, bizarre, and unique. The bottom line is this band is doing something very different. For the most part the music in their discography is carnival themed black metal. They formed back in 2006 as a two piece and have since gained a full line-up. They have consistently been releasing quality music since their inception and have just released Too Gruesome To Be Real, their second full-length.

Too Gruesome To Be Real is a concept album of sorts. It follows an old wretched man named Count Bludwig who resides in a castle. He does not live in this castle on his own of course, staying with him is a group of gruesome creatures. Throughout the album you will be introduced to menacing characters like the Octobunny and the insane Dr. Slaughter. Tormentor did an amazing job with the lyrics and the stories delivered in each song make it nearly impossible to not be completely engrossed in the music.

If the subject matter of the lyrics don't have you sucked in yet the riffs are sure to put the last nail in the casket. The guitarwork for the most part is insanely catchy and effective. When the riffs blend with the synth melodies the combination creates an atmosphere that pushes the quality of the music over the edge. The music has an extremely surreal vibe and plays out like the soundtrack to a perfect nightmare. The vocal delivery doesn't have much in terms of variation but it fits the music well enough to get by. The style used is a guttural growl that sounds oddly relaxed. It is an interesting approach and works quite well.

Overall this album has to find it's way into your collection if you are in search of surreal metal with a thick atmosphere. It is one of the first releases in a long time that has sucked me in with its concept and every single element of the music delivers in the best way possible. This album has been in heavy rotation since I've received it and it will probably be that way for awhile. The replay value is endless and not a second of Too Gruesome To Be Real grows dull. It will be interesting to see where the band goes next with their music, with this album they have mastered the sound that is Bone Fragments and with the potential shown here it seems that the sky is the limit.