LORD OF THE GRAVE – Green Vapour

The second the music starts the fuzzy vibes of Basel-based three-piece Lord of the Grave hit you in the face like a lead pipe wrapped in velvet. Hurty, but nice. In terms of sound, we are looking at sludgy stoner doom, along the same lines as Finland’s finest, Reverend Bizzarre. The bass rumbles like a Panzer tank and the drums teeter through series after series of ultra slow fills. The riffs are good too – the guitar slightly buried under the Panzer bass on the low end but cutting through loud and clear for the lead parts. The vocals are mostly clean, although of the rougher variety.

This kind of things can get boring pretty quickly if it isn’t done properly, but I think Lord of the Grave have found a pleasant balance here. The atmosphere rolls over the listener like a steamroller from hell, the noodly guitars parts are convincing and the pervasive groove works a treat. The lyrics of ‘Horsepuncher’ make that the standout track of the album for me. One of the better doom releases I’ve heard lately.

www.myspace.com/lordofthegrave

http://www.doom-dealer.com/