| Musical Style: Heavy Metal | Produced By: |
| Record Label: Independent | Country Of Origin: Germany |
| Year Released: 2023 | Artist Website: Adorned Graves |
| Tracks: 12 | Rating: 90% |
| Running Time: 73:52 |
From doom to thrash to progressive to straightforward heavy metal, the independent July of 2023 third full-length album from Adorned Graves, The Earth Hath Opened Her Mouth, offers something for almost every hard music fan. The Kaiserslauten, Germany based four piece got its start in 2015 with the four song EP The Hand Of Death prior to following up with full length releases Out From The Depth Of The Grave and Being Towards A River from 2017 and 2020, respectively (all independent). The Earth Hath Opened Her Mouth carries over the ‘old school (80’s) doom ‘n thrash band’ (quoting the groups press material) proclivities to its predecessors with a sound akin to ‘Black Sabbath meets Slayer, Tourniquet meets Trouble, Vengeance Rising meets Paramaecium’, with additional comparison to Metallica, Deliverance, Believer, Martyr and Betrayal.
Angelic Warlord traditionally shies from the thrash genre, but go beneath the surface and you will find much more to the ‘multi-layered’ Adorned Graves songwriting. It begins with manner in which the group resides its varied material upon a strong foundation of melody while backing it with at times melancholic and atmospheric landscapes, riffing to run the gamut from technical and fast paced to slow and trudging and outside the box time and tempo change mentality that eschews your typical verse-chorus-verse structuring. The often harsh and aggressive vocals to the form might turn this reviewer away, but not so Adorned Graves, whom recruit a host of talented guest vocalists to include Herbie Langhans (Seventh Avenue), Dale Thompson (Bride), Jordan Cutajar (Nomad Son), Colin Hendra (Wytch Hazel) and others.
Opener “Epitaph I” is a diverse track breaking down between two parts. Firs trends the calm and gentle to acoustic guitar and female vocal melodies with a Wytch Hazel medieval like flair, while second abruptly kicks in to heavy hitting guitars in pointing to the intrusive only to return to an acoustic direction.
Herbie Langhans lends his gravelly, mid-ranged vocals to second cut “Pilgrim’s Path”. One of albums shortest at four minutes, it maintains an elevated tempo from the get go with expedited guitar riffs over a bedrock of Deafon Graever’s aggressive timekeeping. Main calling card is the wonderfully catchy refrain that would do Langhan’s previous band Seventh Avenue proud! Lyric snippet:
A long life I have lived, and I have so much to tell
about some hidden treasures and the gates of hell.
The tale of my life tells you about pain,
struggling, unanswered prayers without any gain.
As this road of life finally comes to an end
I look back and see a shrouded hidden helping hand.
Now I look back on my life and I see waters, the waters of life
Now I look back on my life and I see waters raining down on me
Now I look back and I see the pilgrim´s path lays before me
Now I look back and I see the pilgrim´s path the pilgrim´s path, it belongs to me
Eight-minute epic “Progenitors” allows Adorned Graves to exhibit its time and tempo change progressive acuity. Song delivers its share of divergences, ranging from the harshly whispered opening first minute to periodic double kick drum outbursts to thrash laden flare-ups to more moderate doom-pace riffing- all the while Kobi Farhi shines with his smooth, mid-ranged vocals that slightly hint of Ozzy. Of note is the instrumental final two and half minutes to see Andreas Wormser exhibit his abundant licks and chops on rhythm and lead guitar.
Speaking of progressive, the ten-minute “Valley Of Achor” delivers the intricate goods. In featuring the commanding vocals of Dale Thompson, who is no stranger to metal from his early Bride days, it walks a fine line between Live To Die (Bride’s 1988 sophomore album) thrash like impetus and darker but catchy signatures to Silence Is Madness (third from 1989). Thompson reveals the full breadth of his vocal abilities, ranging from harsh, lower register snarls to higher but no less persuasive falsettos. Some of his spoken-word moments hint of his work on 2006 Bride album Skin For Skin, a comparison of the highest order. Lyric snippet:
They were followers of Moses - children of Israel
A kin committed a trespass in the accursed thing
Achan son of Carmi the son of Zabdi
son of Zera on their way to Ai
God said to Joshua: “They took the accursed thing!”
It had to be destroyed in the future. They did forbidden stealing!
On the way to destruction you will be destroyed
This path leads to the neverlands to the endless void
The all out thrash assault to “Sun Of Soil” is not my cup of tea. Issue revolves around the course almost harshly driven nature to the vocals, which while well performed force me to pass on the song. Musically, “Son Of Soil” is of such quality if you put it on either of the first two Deliverance albums (with Jimmy Brown’s high-end vocals) it would sound at home.
Third epic “Beyond The Silence” stretches pas eight minutes. What we have is a doom metal monster, slow and trudging with a swarthy vibe to see astringent riffs command but also melodic as found in classic tenor vocalist John Cuijpers and pronounced melody to make every bit the inviting statement. Some of the moody riffs over the final couple of minutes remind me of fifth Deliverance album Learn.
The doom essence carries over to “On A White Pale Hill”, seven minutes of mournful but enticing doom that begins to guttural narration from Psalm 22 ahead of Simon Bibby taking over with his complementary astringent vocal delivery. No, normally not my thing, but Bibby delivers such conviction and compelling angst, I cannot help but end up drawn in. Lending further credence is the masterfully executed chorus with its immediately gripping downcast hooks. Lyric snippet:
My days are past; my plans are broken off
bed me in darkness, I descend into the dust!
You closed the book before the final chapters written
You killed the last song before the music died
Mortified I seek your mercy I´m helpless - and forlorn!
Run upon me like a warrior! You did put the curse upon me!
No regard! Unanswered prayers! Hatred made me the slayer.
Earth cover not my blood, my cry find - no resting place.
Instrumental “Wind Over Glen” ensues. It contrasts from the two preceding with a melodic bent, home to keyboards and acoustic guitar alongside compelling harmonies of a catchy nature but also at moments notice descending into passages of an ominous metal bent. Impression left is a song crucial to the flow of the track listing as opposed to a random instrumental to fill space.
“Vaults And Caverns” returns album to a heavier direction. The ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ themed title alone is enough to like the song, which proves an eerie and bottom heavy doom-like plodder alive with thrash signatures and Chris Ackerman’s expansive borderline extreme vocals. Deafon gets quite the workout with his non-stop double kick drum.
With pensive keyboards to start, “Lord Of The Stone” mournfully trudges its resilient distance to Jordan Cutajar’s complementary gravelly and lower register vocals. Despite the slogging environs, Adorned Graves proves masterful from how it allows a clear-cut melody to define the forlorn scene and mid-point narration from Matthew 5 and Matthew 28 to push the desolate boundaries. Lyric snippet:
He took my load He removed the stone
from the caverns mouth from the adit mouth
and the light of a bright new shining morning
illuminates a garden full of life
The stone he took and fixed it to the ground
like many others before
My view went over this miraculous mountain
and all the stones I saw
Praise to the lord of the stone!
Closer “Epitaph II” represents this reviewer’s choice cut. A full measure of this regard attributes to vocalist Colin Hendra, who aligns his warmly tinctured vocals with the splendid scene, and the wistful aligning of keyboards and acoustic guitar pointing to the grand and stately, refrain correspondingly is over the top in terms of its regal qualities. Adorned Graves proves the versatility of its songwriting in terms of how it can be relevant in a lighter musical direction when placed alongside albums heavier material. Lyric snippet:
The voice of him which cries in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the LORD,
make a straight road in the desert for our God, who has held the waters in the palm of his hand.
He measures out the heavens with his hands, and comprehends the weight of the earth.
Who else can know the weight of the mountains and the hills on a scale?
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, they will fall down exhausted.
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength - they shall mount up with wings as eagles
they shall run, and not be weary - they shall walk, and not faint.
The richly textured and detailed songwriting to Adorned Graves is certain to have me returning with repeat listen to The Earth Hath Opened Her Mouth. Yes, quality is such in light of how the group imbues its material with the distinct hooks, riffs and melodies that cannot help but draw in. Further value reveals in the trudging heaviness and progressive basis to the groups material. I appreciate equally the guest vocal aptitude not to mention strong band performance throughout, not to mention refined but not to fault production. Yes, there is a song or two I might occasionally skip but it is more due to musical taste as opposed to quality. Regardless, if into the bands previous works or any of the styles presented - I hesitate to label the group ‘doom ‘n thrash’ due to the fact there is much more going on here - then make The Earth Hath Opened Her Mouth an immediate purchase.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Epitaph I” (5:43), “Pilgrim’s Path” (4:03), “The Lost Track”, “Progenitors” (7:51), “Valley Of Achor” (10:40), “Son Of Soil” (5:47), “Beyond The Silence” (8:13), “On A White Pale Hill” (7:02), “Wind Over Glen” (4:37), “Vaults And Caverns” (4:35), “Lord Of The Stone” (6:32), “Epitaph II” (8:47)
Musicians
Andreas Wormser - Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Cailen Leif Graever - Rhythm Guitar & Vocals
Lupus Veruta - Bass
Deafon Graever’s - Drums & Vocals
Guest Vocalists
Ruth Borner Staub
Herbie Langhans
Kobi Farhi
Dale Thompson
John Cuijpers
Simon Bibby
Chris Ackerman
Jordan Cutajar
Colin Hendra
