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GRAVEWARDS
Ruinous Ensoulment

Unspeakable Axe (2018)
Rating: 8/10

What I love about Greek death metal is its ability, like the Finnish sound, to embark upon its own decadent journey without really aping any other styles or trends. Gravewards is the latest gang to emerge upon the scene with their debut full-length release Ruinous Ensoulment, the band consisting of vocalist / guitarist Nikos, bass player Fotis, and drummer Basilis Kyp.

In 2017, they injected those in the know with their demo Subconscious Lobotomy, which was flecked with numerous influences ranging from Obituary to Bolt Thrower. What was clever about the release was its ability to find its own sound, which is something of a rare commodity in today’s death metal climate where so many acts are desperate to revisit the 80s and early 90s. Gravewards have a lot going for them, and have evolved nicely with the material on offer here.

After a very short introduction, the album comes with a rather angular and scathing set of blackened axe traits that lead us into ‘Sworn In Denial – Omega Syndrome’. The band do not really offer anything fusty or gore-spattered, but suddenly a shift into mid-tempo sombreness gives a nod towards the likes of, say, Morgoth, and the aforementioned Obituary, but it’s not exactly like either. The combo then shifts pace again to a black-thrash assault whereby the vocals are barked and coughed in short, choppy gruff expressions, but as the guitar sound twists and weaves with menace and the bass and drums crush, there is such a refreshing stance to behold – Gravewards seemingly worlds away from those vintage designs, and yet occasionally flirting back to nostalgic strains.

‘Souls Twisted Beyond Recognition’ begins with a fully armoured drudgery; tints and streaks of Massacre spring to mind but again the outfit is a difficult one to pin down, relying on some incredible, dark and brooding melodic trudges which benefit from the excellent production – something that was also evident on the demo release.

The album strides with confidence; everything about the churning grooves sound massive as ‘Crypt Spawned Psychosis’ comes stabbing hard with those Basilis jabs, and ever present is that grinding yet clean guitar groove, which is a sturdy wall that complements those snappy shouts. That seems to be the formula; the melodious strains of beefiness before sudden rushes of malice working in tandem with those violent, psychotic vocal bleats.

‘Deconstruction Of Logic’ kicks in with immediate punishing pace. I’m hearing strands of classic Benediction with this barnstormer, particularly in the vocal outbursts, while ‘Thresholds Of Lunacy’ brings more frothing pace and themes before my favourite brace of tracks, ‘Abyssal Soul Devourment’ and ‘Devoid Of Life’. The pair come charging like rampant bulls; together they hammer, batter and pulverise with their scurrying rhythms, but again it’s a sound shifting out of the death metal box. Both of course bring aggression and belligerence, but as ‘Devoid Of Life’ delivers another colossal groove to nod to I’m also reminded of a more metallic Godflesh yet without the grey industrialism. Instead, it’s those bleak crushing melodies and those tetchy vocal spits which drive hard.

As I dive in for another listen… and another… I’m rather happy to report that Gravewards is a band that is happy to take snippets of numerous bands, whether it’s Slayer in some of those boiling riffs or, say, Master. Despite this, Ruinous Ensoulment is nevertheless very much an album crafted and created from their own minds rather than any outside influence, and for that I must commend them.

Neil Arnold

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