The Sea, It Devours Me...
Their
previous debut album called „One with the Dead” was a real indelible
impression. What is more, I often return to this splendid slab, still
worshipping its musical devastation. Four long years have passed, fortunately
the Spaniards are pretty active and hard-working fellas and delivered some
splits releases into the bowels of the underground. On the beginning of 2013 they
unleashed the killing split with Ulcer bringing really good “Ye Incantation”
song. It looked like a kind of savory, but the future, I mean the second album,
brought, let’s say, different feelings. Finally the black vinyl version reached
my address and I could submerge into the sea grave at last. But first of all, I
have to write about the front cover art painted by Putrid which is in fact a
first signal to what is all about. Yes, maintained in two colours only, once
again in white and black just like as the great predecessor, the picture ends
Graveyard’s fascination of the general horror classic literature and films and
starts the Lovecraft themes. The awakened Cthulhu says it all… although such a
subject isn’t anything new in metal concepts and lyrics. The second thing is
the recording place. This time the band itself decided to produce the next
offer and entered Moontower abyss. Not a surprise definitely, Javi Felez is the
owner. And to put it shortly, he did a great job. The Spaniards sound amazing,
it is not a ‘full’ underground release, but I can’t call it a modern artificial
stuff. It is organic and this adjective describes it in a really good way. Just
it lives…
But damn,
front cover, lyrics and powerful production cannot force me to build an altar
for any album. So, what about the music? The album starts off with one of the
three miniatures named R’lyeh, and to put it simply the musicians inject the
air with some feelings of anxiety and fear. Lasting somewhat less than one
minute, this track is a good introduction to “The Visitations of the Great Old
Ones”. To the Lovecraft world I mean. Fast tempo, almost thrashing riffs,
characteristic Graveyardish slowing downs and this appalling Julkarn vocals,
very deep guttural and even more devastating as compared to the first album. The
track is maintained in various speeds, that’s absolutely good, but nothing is
haphazard here. And even this song isn’t the best one from the tracklist, I can
say everything about the music. Their first album was deeply rooted in old
Swedish sauce, here the Spaniards added the rest components from Finnish (debut
albums of Sentenced or Amorphis especially), Dutch or UK scene. Generally they
offer a hundred-percent metal of death.
They didn’t
discover any new land in metal dimension. But they use the best patterns in a
proper way only. And I think, after many listens to it, that the real force of
“The Sea Grave” is this tempo changing. Not a one-dimensional track, but the
perfect balance between slow and fast parts. So, the pattern is clear, the
musicians tend to keep all the things simple but effective. And nothing is
thrown in without a reason or well-thought idea. It makes each song has its own
life, and no filler can be found on the tracklist. For sure the band still
searches for a new path to execute this metal in more lethal form, in many
statements they assured about conscious classic heavy and doom influences. And
they gave two names: King Diamond and Candlemass. As I compare it to the
previous work, the guitar leads have definitely more heavy touch, maybe they’re
not as memorable as from mentioned big names, but the change is evident. The
doomish structures are present either, but this is not a new thing, as the
sound from “The Skull” song is such a killing piece of doom played death metal
way. Here, on this album, “Of He Who Sleeps” is the best example. Almost six
minutes are crowded with heavy monumental doom riffs and simple yet very
memorable melody. This hypnotizing power has a real big impact on me, as well
as it makes the album complete in devastating metal intensity. Choosing the
best moments in this heavy sea, I need to mention two coherent tracks: “In Deep
Slumber” and “The Nurturing of the Cadaver”, lasting over six minutes, they
bring absolutely astonishing pieces of death metal. The first one is
instrumental, not as fast as “Abandoned Churches” from the debut, but also with
catchy guitar works. Smoothly it becomes the aforementioned killer, just take a
listen to these splendid old Swedish melodies...
Wondering
about the final mark, there’s a need to call the Graveyard’s debut up. Tunes
from “One with the Dead” completely maltreated my senses, probably it was the
first album in a new movement (or trend?) on the metal scene. Moreover, this
album was equal to the Swedish nineties classic items. And here the most
important question comes to my mind: did “The Grave Sea” meet the requirements?
If yes, did it beat the mighty predecessor? Well, with full consciousness, I
have to declare that the second full length Spanish offer is… better! Of
course, it is not a big difference as I gave the debut ninety-seven points, I
would say that I am able to give the reviewed album one more point. It proves
the band didn’t stagnate and still searches the ways to define their visions
under the banner of the destructive death metal. I said ‘destructive’? Exactly,
just listen to the “Faces of the Faceless” track and imagine this ravage under
the stage while playing it live. Although the fast tempos are rather in
minority, the whole atmosphere of the sounds makes the album a lethal weapon. Now
the Spaniards stand before the recording of the third album (knowing them, also
many splits are planned to be released as well) and after recording two such
splendid slabs, my expectations are enormous. For sure they are able to unleash
another deathly sounds blessed by Lovecraft’s pantheon of gods, for sure the
recording period of the third album will be a good moment to focus on creating band’s
magnum opus.
…but now I’m
again ready for a journey into the ominous sea gulf, to see R’lyeh dominion and
feel the infinite power of the Old Ones. Believe me, it’s possible with this
music…
98/100
-Tlacaxipehualiztli
(written on August / September, 2014)
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