Search - Gravehill :: Metal of Death & The Advocation of Murder

Pure Old School Death Metal

Tim Jewell | Inland Empire | 09/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The modern idea of death metal is something almost completely different from the original concept of the celebrated and feared subgenre of heavy metal; in its earliest days, it was an offshoot of the flourishing thrash metal scene, with bands like Possessed, Death, Obituary, and Morbid Angel taking the established formulas of Slayer and Celtic Frost to new heights (or depths?) of atonality and brutality. Coupling simplistic chainsaw riffs and hammering solos with straightforward pulverizing drum beats at a steady pace, death metal was simple, fun, and energizing (and at times, melodic, in a punk rock sort of way). In modern times, death metal bands are too often judged by their technical skill and speed, a result of the rise of the brutal death and grindcore trend from bands like Carcass, Napalm Death, and Suffocation. Even more shamefully, some modern bands who fit few of the requirements, such as Greeley Estates and Underoath, are termed as death metal merely because of a vague musical relation only superficial in its nature. What death metal truly is has been bastardized, confused, and misunderstood for years, the very idea of the music having become comical in today's society when referring to noisy bands with no apparent musical talent, when in truth, death metal's most important qualities are the subtle nuances and musical skill that create its terrifying atmosphere.



In short, few death metal bands today that claim to be "old school" really get the formula right, from the music to the philosophy and lyrics, and Gravehill is one of those bands. In the studio, the band pumps out sincerely hateful death metal songs with well-written (and sometimes doomy) melodic riffs reminiscent of Entombed and Autopsy. On the stage, each member is an imposing presence behind their violent anthems of hellfire in their full battle armor, leather bondage gear, and denim band-patch jackets like the underground death and black metal bands of yesteryear, drenching themselves and their audience with fake blood (having seen them twice, I can vouch for their amazing performance).



This EP collection takes their first three official recordings, a demo called "Metal of Death", re-records them and combines them with two new tracks recorded after signing with Enucleation Records. Not many people who will read this review will have heard the original "Metal of Death" recordings, but the demos have a rawer sound which is somewhat lost on this record, which opts for a higher-quality recording that emphasizes each individual musician but sounds a bit tinny at times. Nevertheless, the vocals and lyrics of Mike Abominator are grim and aggressive, the guitars of Bodybag Bob and A. Vorgaloth work together to weave their riffs and solos to create a chunky musical depth, and the rhythm section of Mike's bass and Thorgrimm's drums (the latter having a long history playing in local Southern California doom/death bands Morgion and Keen of the Crow, as well as an older Texas band called Crimson Relic) add a bottom end that vibrates the soul of the listener.



Gravehill still isn't very well-known, but with exposure recent high-profile tours with Crematorium and Impaled/Malignancy (as well as an upcoming tour with Watain and Sothis), their music is spreading like a plague, and their winning formula of pure old school death warrants them the right to reach the halls of the modern greats. Check them out!"