Graveyard / Deathevokation - Split EP

GRAVEYARD / DEATHEVOKATION - Split EP (NUCLEAR WAR NOW! - EP 2009)

Are you ready for some more of excellent old school death metal? I know that recent months have delivered quite a lot of such releases, but the real maniac will never have enough of it, especially if we’re dealing with quality metal and great bands. And here’s one title, which I strongly recommend you getting, which is a split EP of two respected and well known bands by now: Deathevokation from US and Graveyard from Spain. I’ve been a fan of both for some time, especially of Graveyard’s amazing Swedish death metal playing, so to get a split EP of two bands like that was a must.

Deathevokation is a band, which I’m familiar with ever since I got their “Blood” demo in 2004 or 2005, don’t remember now. It was OK, but to be honest it’s their “The Chalice of Ages” album that really got me into this band. Their song on this EP is titled “Darkened Domains” and I must say it’s really different from the whole rest of old styled death metal bands of nowadays. The riffing here is melodic, but also sort of doomy and sinister, so it reminds me bands like Beyond Belief, early Paradise Lost… The atmosphere is very dense, dark and gloomy, so I definitely enjoyed this track. Graveyard’s “What Dwells Beneath” from the other hand is just classic Swedish death metal. It starts with very melodic part, in which the guitar solo and the whole riffing reminds me Dismember’s “Dreaming In Red” (but without a bass intro) – the whole track has kind of similar structure and is build on alike patterns. The melodic, opening theme is followed with harsh, aggressive, classic riffing and if you like Carnage, Dismember or Entombed’s “Clandestine”, then you’ll surely love this song. I certainly do, I also like it more than Deathevokation’s side of the split EP. I think it’s one of the most memorable tracks of Graveyard, so great, great job, death Spaniards.

Final rate: 80/100