Earthen Grave [USA]
Earthen Grave
2012
Full Length
Claude & Elmo Music
Doom/Thrash Metal
Doom and thrash metal could not be further apart in the metal spectrum, yet American doom metal band Earthen Grave plays music that fuses elements of both genres into one unique genre of their own. The sextet even includes a violinist, and this year sees them release their self-titled, debut full length album, which promises to be a one-of-a-kind and fresh experience to fans of both doom and thrash metal alike.
The band starts off rather typically of a doom metal album though, with the dark and dense atmosphere that is present and the slow pace of the music, tricking jaded listeners into thinking that this is going to be yet another typical, albeit excellent doom metal release. The heavy, crushing guitar riffs and the low, rumbling bass are all reminiscent of classic doom metal releases, though this is but one face of the band. Most tracks see Earthen Grave transit between doom metal and thrash metal sections, and this definitely provide a surprisingly nice experience, with the band displaying their mastery in songwriting with the seamless transition between these vastly different genres, such as on the intro of Life Carries On.
And as vocalist Mark comes in, the resemblance to vocalists like Chris Cornell is uncanny, though this is but one style of his versatile repertoire, and this is displayed as the album progresses. Just on opening title track Earthen Grave, he slowly goes into a more thrash metal mode after the halfway point of the album, and on here his aggressive shouting style instantly reminds listeners of vocalists like James Hetfield and his later work on Metallica. Heck, the riffing style and the progression style would have easily fit into and could have even shone better than Metallica's work on Death Magnetic, with songs like Blood Drunk reminding listeners of songs like The Unforgiven III. Dismal Times even tests Mark's vocal range with the high-pitched, power metal vocal style.
One aspect that really stood out on Earthen Grave is the usage of the violin of Rachel, giving a rather unique flavour to the music. Rather than simply playing a rhythmic role or symphonic role as most bands that contain such instruments do, throughout the album, Rachel is given lots of air time to shine, and not only does her leads display her talents on the instrument, but often help to reinforce the emotions that are on the album as well, going from a mournful, sorrowful mood to a haunting and somewhat scary one, with the high-pitched, screechy high notes. The duelling guitar and violin solos that are present also give a unique experience, especially on extended solo segments like on Life Carries On, allowing for each of the instruments to display their chops.
On their debut full length release, Earthen Grave has certainly displayed their innovation in writing music, bringing together what seems like two rather distinctive genres successfully, creating an experience that no other releases have been able to do so in a long time.
Earthen Grave on the internet:
Official website
BandCamp
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