Category Archives: Spain

GRAVEYARD (Spa): “Into the Mausoleum” demo Cd-r 2008 s/p

GraveyardNow we’re talking, baby. While it’s true nobody can clearly state when the Death Metal phenomenon came out, I guess everybody would agree the peak of it was just cross 1990 (year more, year less). That’s the time when it attained its clear identity, still freshly rooted in the carcasses of other musical genres soon to be dead like punk and thrash metal. It is in that rotting, dark, gloomy and worm infested environment that we first perceived Death Metal was getting a status as a genre on his own, instead of being just an adjective for other forms of metal. I gave up long time ago any hopes that the spirit would come back again, but at least I hoped that people could understand a glimpse of how magic that period of my youth was. Even if there are several things I don’t like in reunions of legendary bands and teenager revivals, I admit the Death Metal scene has never been so healthy in over 15 years.

All this bullshit to introduce one of the best results of post-2000 retro-Death Metal phenomenon. Graveyard from Spain are just playing with the same convincing spirit of the real founders of the genre. I have dug deep in my lexicon to find words to describe this music, but I realized there was no need to describe it, it is just Death Metal with capital “D”. Obscure, murky and grotesque as early Finnish demo bands like Depravity, Abhorrence or Funebre, yet with a few bursts of the galloping ride frenzy of early Unleashed (curiously this is limited to a few riffs, you just can’t hear that kind of songwriting all through the songs).Even if I adore this shit, I have to admit other bands like Dead Congregation or Crucifire are preparing the same dish but with a much improved recipe. In other words, you probably have to do something more to stand out of this new wave of old school bands flooding the underground. Much appreciated by me however, since the sound is flawless. Great roaring, slightly echoing vocals, crunchy super distorted guitar sound, and an eerie, disturbing melody all over make this band a must have for a good collection, I hope someone does it on vinyl one day. I can live without the melodies however, if you know what I mean.

No comments on the packaging today, since it’s just a home made Cd-r with xeroxed cover. I find the cover art a bit too ironic too.

ALTAR OF GIALLO (Spa): “s/t” demo Cd-r 2006 s/p

Altar of GialloGreat zombie worshipping intro! Just when all the Carcass/Impetigo inspired bands initially exploited by Razorback rex started to sound gay at last we have some new hot petrol reviving the flames. Or maybe it’s human fat that greasy, sticky, flammable substance? With all that acrid smoke, it couldn’t be otherwise. Cannibals and Italian movie cheesy acting is revived in these tracks. Not only this band gets inspired by cool old horror and thriller flicks in the lyrics, but the sound itself (the flyer itself defines it a “very cool sound”) is an hybrid of Cannibal Gore Metal and Riz Ortolani/Fabio Frizzi kind of chilling composition. This band features members of Gruesome Stuff Relish and Repugnance and well, it just plainly kills. It has a nice share of the sound of both bands, plus a character of its own – equally balanced between eerie melodies, growling gore gargling, phlegmy vocals and all the good shit this music can offer. I cannot recommend it enough, especially now that their full length album is out on Yurkiewicz’s label Last House on the Right – I can speak for these tracks only but I bet the Lp is equally good. Never exceedingly fast, yet definitely gore to the (gnawed) bone. Lovers of Impetigo would definitely find this band much more convincing than that shit that is Lincoln Love Log (try telling me that “Amazonia” is not a tribute to “Cannibale Ballet”). Lovers of good old movies too will undoubtedly find a lot of references as well…!