Like violence? Love Grave!
Grave hail from Sweden and are the filthy, blood coated death metal band you can’t help but like. Their 8th album brings with it all the towering riffs and chaotic growls you’d expect from four men who look like they’d jump you in a dark alleyway. Fiendish Regression begins with the pounding ‘Last Journey’. It begins quietly before it crumbles into a raging inferno of scorching drum-work, raging guitars and a filthy bass line.
Having been around since 1986, Grave have had ample time to brush up on the skills which make for an interesting death metal band. Despite the vocals being heavier than a 10 ton weight, it is still listenable even if you tend to opt for lighter rock. The main reason behind this is numerous changes in speed which litter each and every song on this album. From the wild-animal-caged howl of Awakening to the mid paced groove of ‘Trial by Fire’, there is a large amount of variation in Graves music, something I was surprised to find within this genre. Much of this variation is found behind the drum kit, since Pelle Ekegren is a new addition to the Grave line-up.
Further on in the album more blood and gore is served up on a silver platter- take the hefty slab of raw filth that is ‘Inner Voice’. Starting off with a slow growl of bass guitar it quickly speeds up after a roar from vocalist Ola Lindgren and turns into the type of song that nightmares are made of.
Overall, Fiendish Regression is a pleasant journey into the dark world of Death Metal. If you’re a fan of Grave this energised new album will be a must, but the mid paced metal will mean that newcomers will find it accessible and easy to listen to.