Grave Burial Ground
by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer
Muscular, vigorous, instantly memorable death metal is what Grave deliver with staggering assurance on their brand-new release. Expertly layered texture, clarity of vision, and lucid compositional structures all come together to confirm these veterans of Swedish death metal as one of the best acts of this difficult genre. Grave deal with all the challenges it presents with remarkable ease, knowing how to introduce variety and a sense of real drama to the familiar formula. Precise, articulate and at the same time reservedly vivid, they make you remember those tracks right after the very first listen – a serious achievement which makes the band stand out among legions of other death metal outfits.
Drummer Ronnie Bergerstahl is a standout on his own right, perfect at delivering crystal-clear uncluttered parts, but also capable of turning his instrument into a comprehensive wall of sound, allowing the rest of the band to operate on top of this torrential safety net.
Stoner metal, doom and even thrash are incorporated into the best of the tracks with natural ease, but the record still champions death metal – with plenty of changes in pace, time signatures, and moods to deliver diverse, multi-level vision of the genre executed with the best metal chops this side of the Atlantic. Add to this a special magic touch which haunts standout tracks such as “Bloodtrail”, and for once you couldn’t ask for more when things concern delivering pathos and entertainment in one unified, coherent package.
Genre: Old-school Swedish death metal
Band:
Ola Lindgren – vocals, guitar
Ronnie Bergerstahl – drums
Fredrik Isaksson – bass
Track Listing:
1. Liberation
2. Semblance in Black
3. Dismembered Mind
4. Ridden with Belief
5. Conquerer
6. Outcast
7. Sexual Mutilation
8. Bloodtrail
9. Burial Ground
Label: Regain Records
Web site: www.grave.se; www.myspace.com/gravespace
Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10