Statements are meant to be made. And that’s what Graveyard have done with their latest release “Peace”. And this, with such an emphatic way. Their way. Following their previous album “Innocence & Decadence”, the band comes back in a dynamic, groovy and charismatic record that will definitely have an impact to the listener. Not to mention to their fan base.
The introduction with the track “It Ain’t Over Yet” (the newcomer Oskar Bergenheim introduces himself in the best possible way) gives us the exact dynamic approach that is about to follow: drumming and rhythm section like there is no tomorrow, the trademark guitar tone of the band and of course Mr. Joakim Nilsson giving it everything all the way, from the first second till the last. Ladies and Gents, this is very simply said, high energy rock n’ roll at its best! Spanning from blues to heavy metal in terms of not only the sound but also the attitude, the headbanging in many cases, and the awesome feeling across the record, this is a fantastic record, frankly speaking. The sound of “Peace” is not so much refined, so much polished or overproduced. It has the exact attitude needed to be harsh, heavy and ‘crunchy’, but at the same time, mellow, catchy and attractive to our senses. There is a beautiful fuzziness all over, a wonderful groove that won’t let you down. It also has ‘laid-back’ moments, such as ‘See the Day’, which is a beautiful melodic and nostalgic ballad, with a magic touch of the charismatic Truls Mörck on the vocals… Brilliant! This is like taking a stroll out of the fuzzy city center, somewhere, somehow.
This is a record which, track by track and verse by verse, it gets you more into its beauty, so that you can let yourself more to it. “Please Don’t” sets back things into the groovy setup, lifting up our mood higher. “The Fox” is a typical beloved tune of Graveyard, short but so prolific and attractive at the same time. Adding to this, I could even now see the crowds chanting and dancing on “Walk On” during the upcoming summer festivals somewhere in Europe, in an ecstatic way! Fantastic! Go with the rumble guys! “Del Manic” is another proof why we love so much the voice of Joakim, he can get us carried away.
Graveyard is not another band. Since day 1, they have set the standards so high to themselves, even though there have been some gloomy or ‘not-so-great’ moments (e.g. “Lights Out”), they combine so many influences spanning to so different tones, styles, genres, altogether coming in a very smooth but also dynamic way to the listener. This is a dazzling and stunning comeback of the band from Hisingen, Gothenburg and we really look forward to watching them play live new material from “Peace”.
♦ 8/10
Antonis Mantzavinos
