Graven – The Shadows Eternal Call
Traditional black metal to the core, but with a full production AND well written, verse/chorus/verse/chorus dominant material to back up the grimness… The simplistic structures are really the saving grace of this album, because if the songs weren’t there to stick in your head, “The Shadows Eternal Call” would have simply been faceless underground black metal album #666 on the month. Every instrument can be heard clearly and with a gritty power to really sell this material. Having a real drummer is a nice touch, for it keeps Graven out of the juvenile status and proves that they are a project that wants to be recognized on a wider platform when it comes to this genre. Beneath the harsh screams, every cliché known to black metal is discernable…. Ravens, never-ending darkness, hate, misanthrope, the moon, etc, and I’d have to say the cheesiness of Graven’s lyrical concepts are the worst, most predictable element found on this CD. Sure, “The Shadows Eternal Call” is standard black metal, done better in the past by Darkthrone and the like, but I like this CD enough to hang onto it and possibly even explore this bands back catalog further to hear if the quality in the songwriting has been there since the beginning. So if you’re in the mood for a dose of cult stuff, really, Graven never strays far from the rules and does so with style and a deep sound to back it all up. That’s more than I can say for so many other bands in this genre. – Marty
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