▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Gravesite ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Horrifying Nightmares... █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-12-21 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Death Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Xtreem Music ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Italy's Gravesite may be a relatively new band in █ █ name, but not in spirit. The entity was forged █ █ from the remnants of Undead Creep, which formed in █ █ 2009 with a demo, EP, and full-length under their █ █ belt before calling it a day. David (Assumption, █ █ Haemophagus), bassist Claudio (Ancient Cult, Bland █ █ Vargar), and vocalist Gabri (Black Temple Below, █ █ Cancer Spreading), decided to move forward under a █ █ new name, as well as new guitarist, having picked █ █ up Gioele (Haemophagus, Repulsions) in place of █ █ Samantha (Saturnine). Under the new moniker, the █ █ four-piece issued their first demo, Obsessed by █ █ the Macabre, which was released later that year on █ █ cassette format through Iconoclast Records. █ █ Shortly after, the band started work on their █ █ debut full-length album, which is being handled by █ █ the legendary death metal label Xtreem Music. But █ █ is this "debut" outing one that could have used a █ █ little more maturity for this resurrection, or █ █ have Gravesite already come into their own? █ █ Horrifying Nightmares... will sound like familiar █ █ territory for long-standing death metal veterans, █ █ or previous fans of the band in general. There's █ █ no denying that the remnants of the previous █ █ formation still linger in its ranks, but there's a █ █ little more essence of the likes of Cancer and █ █ Autopsy at work in their music this time around, █ █ as well as a little more of an analog sound █ █ compared to the only full-length issued under the █ █ Undead Creep name. The guitars are a little on the █ █ sharpened side, baring its fangs in an early █ █ Carcass output, while the crisp drums work to █ █ create infectious rhythms with the mild presence █ █ of the bass guitar, adding a little more bite to █ █ the eerie atmospheres the leads can sometimes █ █ create. The vocals also stand a little different, █ █ not quite being as deep and burdensome as they had █ █ been before the initial disbanding. Instead they █ █ have a vile touch to the harsh growls that only █ █ adds to the impact of the b-grade exploitative █ █ horror sensation that appears when the band isn't █ █ indulging themselves in a hint of hardcore thanks █ █ to the random bouts of authoritative grooves that █ █ show from time to time. █ █ For the most part, this effort is a high energy █ █ mixture of brutality and creepy melodies. "Intro - █ █ Anguished Sleep" sets the latter environment up █ █ quite well with a synth piece that could easily █ █ fit a b-movie from the sixties or seventies. About █ █ a minute in, the music slowly picks up, casting █ █ you into a borderline nightmarish world that only █ █ continues to grow more intense, bleeding into █ █ "Submerged in Vomit" through a held guitar note. █ █ The pace returns to as frantic as the prior's █ █ conclusion, throwing the bass guitar pulses at you █ █ with the steady drums and eerie guitar work █ █ Autopsy fans will warmly embrace. There are some █ █ changes that occur and disrupt the timing, but █ █ this is handled either in a quick progressive █ █ manner, or a doom metal tone, the latter coming █ █ into play at just past two-and-a-half minutes in. █ █ "I Want to Rot" is one of the few tracks that █ █ really does manage to break the mold for the most █ █ part. The group cites Death as an influence, which █ █ can be felt early on in the introduction, as well █ █ as starting at the three minute mark. What follows █ █ is more high energy metal that sounds like a █ █ sleeker modern day Swedish death metal assault █ █ with nods to Bolt Thrower and the like, all █ █ without a heavy digital overproduction. The █ █ burdensome churning of doom metal reappears once █ █ more about half way through for a short amount of █ █ time, crawling along with some additional █ █ technicality that moves into an impressive guitar █ █ solo before a hint of Exhumed-style goregrind █ █ kicks in to wrap things up with. █ █ "Where Mortals Fear to Thread", however, stands as █ █ one of the more epic offerings from the group. █ █ Things start with a progressive foothold, quickly █ █ shifting to a standard groove-heavy death metal █ █ cut that slowly picks up both speed and intensity. █ █ Like "Submerged in Vomit", this is one of the few █ █ that rely quite a lot on the bass guitar's output, █ █ bringing the pulse to the forefront in some █ █ segments to weave some burdening traits that only █ █ grow as you reach the half way mark, working with █ █ the drums to suffocate the listener as it pushes █ █ ever more through the tightly packed ground to █ █ freedom. This leads to a frantic exertion █ █ musically, as well as vocally, until the █ █ realization of being trapped in the dank darkness █ █ sets upon you with riffs that slow the adrenaline █ █ for a bit, giving it one more go shortly before it █ █ all caves in on you. █ █ Horrifying Nightmares... acts as a testament for █ █ an era that has made its comeback in metal today, █ █ but often more as a carbon copy than anything all █ █ that original or unique. While this effort shows █ █ clear evidence of its influences, Gravesite are █ █ far from a band of pure hero worship. It's clear █ █ the four-piece is putting a lot of effort into █ █ their music, offering up a good deal of variety █ █ throughout that all feels natural to the flow of █ █ the release (save a few oddball introductions █ █ towards the very end), and the joy they have █ █ playing the material is clearly heard in the album █ █ on every track. Using a number of b-movie scores █ █ to play up the horrific angle of the album's dirty █ █ sounding music that is just the right blend of █ █ crisp, modern day technological abilities and █ █ gritty analog recording methods, Horrifying █ █ Nightmares... stands an enthusiastic slab of death █ █ metal fans of the gritty late eighties to early █ █ nineties days will find plenty of replay value in. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Intro / Anguished Sheep 2:32 ░ ░ 2. Submerged in Vomit 4:20 ░ ░ 3. Horrifying Nightmares of Flesh and Blood 5:11 ░ ░ 4. I Want to Rot 5:26 ░ ░ 5. The Painter of Agonies 5:07 ░ ░ 6. Where Mortals Fear to Thread 4:55 ░ ░ 7. Curse of the Red Moon 3:03 ░ ░ 8. Worship Death in All Its Forms 4:13 ░ ░ 9. Suscipe Mortem 3:28 ░ ░ 38:15 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░