| Musical Style: Heavy Metal | Produced By: Wout Wormser |
| Record Label: Soundmass | Country Of Origin: Germany |
| Year Released: 2025 | Artist Website: Adorned Graves |
| Tracks: 5 | Rating: 85% |
| Running Time: 22:19 |
The redesigned Adorned Graves draws upon traditional heavy metal but with classic tenor lead vocals on its June of 2025 Soundmass Records 5-song EP Dream I. Redesigned from standpoint of how Dream I musically differs from the old school thrash mixed with progressive and doom metal to the Kaiserslauten, Germany based groups 2023 independent (and 90% Angelic Warlord reviewed) predecessor The Earth Hath Opened Her Mouth. Whereas I tend to shy from thrash due to its often course vocal aptitude, Adorned Graves bucked the trend on The Earth Hath Opened Her Mouth by bringing in a different (mostly clean) vocalist for each of its ten tracks, including but not limited to Colin Hendra (Wytch Hazel, Jordan Cutajar (Rainforce), Herbie Langhans (Seventh Avenue) and Dale Thompson (Bride).
Adorned Graves also alters course by employing instead a single guest vocalist to front each of the Dream I tracks in Craig Cairns. Better known for his work with Metal Assault and Tailgunner, Cairns brings a powerful and expansive vocal style that reminds of Todd Michael Hall (Riot V) and Rob Rock (Impellitteri). The resulting Dream I association of soaring vocals and old school metal evokes the furor and gusto to early Bride (think Live To Die from 1988) but with the sinewy faculty of XT (akin to 1995 offering Extended Empire). A more accessible Adorned Graves sound is the upshot, with songwriting truncated to the four to five minute range as opposed to the eight to ten minute epics gracing The Earth Hath Opened Her Mouth.
Hence, opening cut “Argument From Reason”, a venturous assailer innate to corpulent rhythm guitar and forward thinking momentum but also a light progressiveness. Song, for instance, opens its first minute and half in driving guitar instrumental mode ahead of morphing to a few seconds of doom like riffs and accelerating in full energy form its remaining span. Waylaying refrain even mirrors some power metal rudiments. Lyric snippet:
Boarding the ark - escape from the vortex
Pull away from the abyss
Maintain of faith, ark of reason
Pursuing knowledge and truth
The argument from reason
Conclusion there is something more
Argument from reason
Virtuous life complete
Albums title track aligns with galloping Maiden-esdque underpinnings- Cairns delivers the needed rapid fire vocal flavorings, while rhythm section of drummer Deafon Graever and bassist Lupus Veruta commands with whirlwind precision. “Dream I” also features a return guest vocal appearance from Dale Thompson, whose occasional middle register grit helps build upon the darker semblance and swarthy melody to hold sway. Lyric snippet:
Beating down the injured pride won’t lead you to the cure
In future we’re all the same no matter rich or poor
Who is your guide, revise callings everyday
Show some love, care for the sick and don’t forget to pray
“Mourning Town” tempers to a mid-paced contexture, touching upon hard rock with its scraping singularity - a touch of malice rises to the surface - but also the anthem like alluding to the clutching hooks (refrain is lucent as it gets). Depth to albums production allows leaden bass and austere rhythm guitar to separate in the mix. Barren Cross could not do it better. Lyric snippet:
You feel the fire and still feel the pain
The human desire it makes us insane, insane, insane
Your martyrs die in vain
Just death is here to gain
No sacred path in fray
No religion to obey
“Legacy Of Worms” stays true to a more enterprising tempo. Song unveils a grooving percipience, bounding from the start with a near medieval tinged structure (akin to a heavier Wytch Hazel) but corporeal to enfolding hooks, scathing is manner in which the ‘legacy of worms’ title continuously repeats. Wout Wormser takes ample opportune to uncover his escalated riffing and soloing. Lyric snippet:
Scripture alone, reasoning clear
I will not revoke
Freedom of faith, conscience and creed
Christ have mercy on us
Their graves raise their voices on holy sand
Who expired their lives
Their souls shall be bound in the bundle of life
In eternity
Album ends to traditional metal mauler “The Abyss”. Haunting is the opening first minute in which bleak church organ and caliginous rhythm guitar entwine, with the remaining three intrepid as Cairns vocally reaches for the sky and the disquieting refrain literally leaves one breathless. Church organ returns to cover the final seconds. Lone com plaint revolves around how the song seems a bit short at ‘just’ four minutes- impression is group could have carried it out an extra minute or two. Lyric snippet:
You only will evolve outside, leave your comfort zone
Searching for wisdom, discovering the unknown
When you’re old and getting cold will there be a sense?
Construing yourself the meanings, improve until the end
Avoid the abyss, avoid the darkness
Quality to Dream I is such I cannot help but ask- why stop at only five songs? Yes, each embodies a wonderful infusion of traditional metal and high-end vocals- catchy in terms of the hooks and riffs but also crushing with forwardly placed rhythm guitar. If Adorned Graves carried over the momentum to record a full-length album with remaining material of similar quality, I would grade it in the 90% to 95% range, noting I score EP’s on a tighter scale than full-length releases. Credit the group nonetheless for owning the confidence and ambition to trend a new musical path as opposed to the thrash-doom-progressive leanings of its previous material. If the past is any indicator of the future, we can rest assured any future album recorded by Adorned Graves will be of high quality regardless of musical direction.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Argument From Reason” (5:10), “Dream I” (4:23), “Mourning Town” (4:39), “Legacy Of Worms” (4:11), “The Abyss” (3:49)
Musicians
Cailen Leif Graever - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals & Lyrics
Deafon Graever - Drums, Vocals & Lyrics
Lupus Veruta - Bass
Wout Wormser - Lead Guitar
Additional Musicians
Craig Cairns - Lead Vocals
Dale Thompson - Lead Vocals
