Saturday, July 8, 2017

Song review: GRAVEWARDS Subconscious Lobotomy

Subconscious Lobotomy
From their debut EP Subconscious Lobotomy, recorded late 2016 and released April 2017.
Recorded, mixed and mastered at Made in Hell Studios, Athens, Greece.
Logo by Moonroot Art
Gravewards, a death-thrash metal band from Greece, preview the title cut of their debut Subconscious Lobotomy at their Youtube profile. The four song EP was released on cassette format last April, with a run of three hundred copies. The three piece was formed in 2015 and are currently with Necronome Records. This one track from the EP made me want to hear the rest of it. Influence-wise, Gravewards draw from early U.S. death metal (Obituary, Autopsy), early U.K. death metal (Napalm Death, Paradise Lost) and 80s thrash (Slayer, Exodus) consolidating it all into four skull crushing minutes with melodic riffs and production that is polished but not excessively so, creating an impeccable integration of slick guitar, distorted bass (I was reminded of Cronos and Angel Ripper), primal drums that drive each time change home and resonant vocals much akin to ND's Barney Greenway. The guitar/bass progressions are in perfect sync from the King-Hanneman-ish opening riff to the groove-laden ending. The songwriting relies heavily on this dynamic with occasional fills from the drummer. There is just one blast section as Graveward direct most of their energy through the slower parts. The emphasis on melodic groove makes the song heavier and more imposing. No lyrics or visuals are provided so you’d have to ask the band if lyrics are included in the cassette package. Graveward’s Youtube profile features a time lapse video from Vojtěch Moonroot with artwork he designed for the band. This video features another song from Graveward's EP. There is no indication given of the title but the song is more DM oriented with more thrashy crunch in the breakdowns. As I listened I began to like it even more than the previous song. Moonroot’s Youtube profile has more time lapse videos of art he designed for the bands Druadan Forest, Auric and Draugsol, with contact information. -Dave Wolff

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