### Grave: Back from the grave

#### 17/01/03 || Lord K Philipson

Back in 1994, or something like that, I was asked by former vocalist/bassist Jörgen Sandström if I wanted to join them for live-situations, on guitar. I learned 16 songs in 2 or 3 rehearsals but the tour never happened for me as they wanted to go on a 3-piece as ” – Venom were always only 3 people”. But being able to play along to 16 Grave-songs was fucken fun. Standing in the rehearsal-room with the fuckers, playing classic Grave-songs was a big thing. Thanx to Ola I now play Jackson guitars.

Needless to say, but I´ll do it anyways, I´m still good friends with all of the fuckers in the band and most of you know that me and Jörgen are doing The Project Hate together. After masterpiece “Soulless” (I still remember Jörgen calling me up when deciding the title… ” – Is it spelled with one or 2 S´s in the end? ”) Jörgen left for Entombed and things will never be the same in the grave. I personally think they should have called it quits after his departure. I can imagine the situation being completely different if Jörgen had stayed and I had been playing with them, 2 more talented people than us are hard to find you know.

The previous album “Hating Life” I even did some vocals for when Jörgen had left as they called up and asked, just to realize I am not supposed to do vocals, and trying to sing in a band after Jörgen is as fucken smart as playing baseball with handgrenades. I still have a tape of that recording we did and my vocals are better than Ola´s on that album, not that it tells much anyways. That was the thing that really made me unable to listen to “Hating Life”, the vocals… So to say the least, I didn´t have very high hopes for this album.

Good to see that Ola´s vocals are better, though Grave will never be Grave without Jörgen´s roars. I have listened quite a few times to this album and it´s ok. Not more, not less. It´s a little step back to “Soulless” in the material, though it´s nothing near that album. Some of the riffs on this one could easily have made it onto the before-mentioned classic cd. Song number 7, “Resurrection”, is a perfect example of that and I think I´d crown this the jewel on this album. It holds a great riff that makes me think of Carcass, “Heartwork” era.

Grave always went for Sunlight Studios when it comes to recording full-length albums, and this time is no different. The sound is heavy with guitars thicker than John Holmes cock, if you get the reference. At times on this disc Grave have a tendency to bring back memories of what they used to sound like and that makes me utterly happy. I just think Ola should give up doing the vocals and get the band a growler. Stockholm is fucken full of them. What´s Harrvik of Crematory doing? Or Brink of Morpheus? Lalle of Excruciate? Just to name a few…

Anyways. Just becoz I´m friends with the band doesn´t mean I´ll give them a good review (simply becoz Jonas don´t buy me enough booze when we are out). People in band´s can feel howthefuckever they want when it comes to me reviewing their bands. Can´t take criticism? Take this then, FUCK YOU. I´m the Lord and my words are fucken law.

To sum this fucker right the fuck up then. I think one of the major things that Grave is lacking nowadays is, except for the.. yeah, you know…. that the songs aren´t that catchy anymore. There´s no “Turning Black”, no “Scars”, no “Extremely Rotten Flesh” and so on… Sure thang, the whole album is heavy and it´s midpaced, which means it lacks in speed. And speed is something I miss in today´s Grave. I don´t know, maybe Jensa (drums) is bored with doing the fast thang, maybe he´s too fucken old to keep up with it? Whatever is the core of the problem, do something about it. Hire fucken Michael Schumacher if it´s fucken needed, but bring some fast shit in there at times. If not becoz you love it, do it becoz I tell you to.

There is a reason I have the “Soulless” LP framed on my wall. Death metal doesn´t get better than that. But it´s good to see them trying.

6/10

- Information
- Released: 2002
- Label: Century Media
- Website: www.intothegrave.com
- Band
- Ola Lindgren: guitar, vocals
- Jonas Torndal: guitar
- Fredrik Isaksson: bass
- Jensa Paulsson: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Intro
- 02. Rise
- 03. Behold the flames
- 04. Dead is better
- 05. Receiver
- 06. No regrets
- 07. Resurrection
- 08. Below
- 09. Bloodfed
- 10. Thorn to pieces