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BELOW THE GRAVES
Death Is Always Hungry

Self-released (2022)
Rating: 8/10

Since the early 90s Finland has produced some of the best death metal bands around, and as of 2022 it could be argued that the country is one of the leaders when it comes to quality acts. Below The Graves is proof of my statement because this debut platter is an incredible release and one full of varying styles.

Although organic and evil-sounding, this eight-track opus fuses speedy elements that border on black / death, particularly with the vocal yaps. But with the mid-tempo passages there’s a filtering of old school death metal too where deeper, guttural growls come into focus along with some serious macabre yet melodious streaks. This is evident on the doomy beginnings of opener ‘Formless Evil’ which quickly shifts its pace into a hasty nastiness.

Similar designs are experienced on ‘Embodiment’ too whereby the riffs are chunky and catchy but dripping with sodden soil, and because of these variances it’s difficult to pin the band down to a certain influence.

‘Feasting On The Priest’ and numerous others have an early Deicide sort of double vocal extremity where the cackles are matched with a deeper bark. Meanwhile, ‘Rotten Corpses’ lumbers in squalid fashion and remains my personal favourite on the album simply due to its syrupy oozing,

However, as I say, there are some interesting styles on offer here. ‘Cannibal Master’ judders along in utterly morbid fashion with the vocals sounding like a horde of slurping zombies, while ‘Salvete Diable’ chugs with grim menace before speeding up like a vile mix of, say, classic Master but with extra gloom and rawness. Good, grotesque stuff all round then for this talented bunch.

Neil Arnold

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