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░ ██ ██ Artist: Gravewⁿrm ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Abyss Sorcery █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-10-10 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Funeral Empire Records Ltd. ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Two compilations, three EP's, eight demos, █
█ fourteen splits and ten full length albums into █
█ their now twenty-four year long career, United █
█ States based old goat metallers Gravewⁿrm have █
█ long waved the flag of primal blackened metal. The █
█ band's 2014 release, and their tenth full length █
█ overall, Abyss Sorcery, continues the trend of no █
█ frills primal metal. Taking cues from the █
█ forefathers of extreme metal (Hellhammer, Bathory █
█ and Venom), Gravewⁿrm summons forth ten tracks of █
█ thrashing and bashing hymns of blasphemous sorcery █
█ from the abyss. █
█ Even though over twenty years have passed since █
█ multi-instrumentalist Funeral Grave started the █
█ band, recording quality aside, not a whole lot has █
█ changed in Gravewⁿrm's formula. The basic recipe █
█ is still the same: worship at the feet of the gods █
█ of the first wave. The band's last effort, █
█ Infernal Minions, was a dark and doomy nod to the █
█ likes of Bathory and Hellhammer, with frequent █
█ surges of blackened metallic might. A few shifts █
█ in the framework have occurred during the █
█ recording of Abyss Sorcery which make for a more █
█ fulfilling and enjoyable album altogether. I'm not █
█ saying that Gravewⁿrm has pushed into any new █
█ boundaries or anything, but the overall feel of █
█ Abyss Sorcery somewhat refreshed and reinvigorated █
█ while still retaining their trademark sound. █
█ This somewhat fresh can be attributed to several █
█ thrashy tracks that, while remaining primitive in █
█ standard Gravewⁿrm fashion, add a dose of █
█ headbanging groove to the mix. Yes, that's right, █
█ I said groove, on a Gravewⁿrm album. Now before █
█ you go off thinking about any lowbrow, tough guy █
█ groove, let me correct you. The thrash riffing █
█ bears a solid mid paced gait that hearkens back to █
█ the days of yore, but with an excellent ear for a █
█ thick groove under the gruff exterior, which the █
█ bass lines follow perfectly allowing of a █
█ rollicking low end. Tracks like ôCertain Doomö and █
█ ôRestless Spectreö just exude this groovy █
█ primordial blackened thrash while ôBy Sorcery I █
█ Shall Burnö and ôThe Sun is Lost to Usö show us █
█ the classic doomy blackened death metal we've come █
█ to expect from Gravewⁿrm. Through it all the █
█ gravel-laden, raspy shouts of Funeral Grave lead █
█ the charge, sounding exactly like they did in █
█ early 90's. █
█ Gravewⁿrm used two drummers on Abyss Sorcery, Ash █
█ Thomas (Crucified Mortals, Estuary, Acheron, etc.) █
█ on the first five tracks and former Arghoslent █
█ turned Twisted Tower Dire drummer Marc Stauffer on █
█ the latter five tracks. Both drummers beat out a █
█ solid performance, but neither really outshines █
█ the other. Ash Thomas gives most of his tracks a █
█ thrashy, punk feel with rollicking grooves while █
█ Marc Stauffer's impressive cymbal work and hollow █
█ snare flicker between thrash beats and blasts that █
█ would make Hellhammer proud. █
█ The production is solid, much like the last few █
█ Gravewⁿrm releases. The band has really seemed to █
█ find a comfortable mix of primordial rawness and █
█ instrumental clarity. The riffs are poignant, the █
█ bass is a clearly contributing instrument, the █
█ drums don't drown anything else out and Funeral █
█ Grave's vocals cut through it all. This is one █
█ Gravewⁿrm's best works in recent years, topping █
█ some of my personal favorites with its █
█ reinvigorated approach. Despite this, the band █
█ maintains their classic sound and attitude in a █
█ way that should keep any longtime fan of the band █
█ content. Don't sit on your ass with this one, █
█ though, as it's limited to one hundred copies, █
█ available directly from Funeral Grave. Fans of the █
█ Hells Headbangers and Iron Bonehead rosters should █
█ definitely check this out. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. The Demonforge... 1:23 ░
░ 2. Into the Cauldron 3:46 ░
░ 3. Certain Doom 2:50 ░
░ 4. Abyss Sorcery 5:20 ░
░ 5. Divinity in the Night 5:01 ░
░ 6. By Sorcery I Shall Burn 5:08 ░
░ 7. Commanding the Black Crusade 7:30 ░
░ 8. The Sun is Lost to Us 4:10 ░
░ 9. Twisted Crucifix 3:35 ░
░ 10. Restless Spectre 5:07 ░
░ 43:50 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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