It’s been a hell of a year for death metal. Asphyx lived up to the title of their latest, Deathhammer. Cannibal Corpse honed their skills to a razor’s edge on Torture. And with Endless Procession of Souls, Grave embrace the killing groove and decimate everything that has come before.
The production on Endless Procession is interesting for Swedish death–you’ve got what sounds like a standard HM-2 on the guitars, but it’s not the same bass-heavy fuzzbomb you hear on modern Dismember or Black Breath records. It’s like a layer has been peeled back, leaving enough dirt to feel dirty but allowing the instruments to shine through in their own damaged way. All older death metal records sound imperfect, but they have character: gnarly and heavy in their own right, but never pristine. Grave tap that nostalgic roar without even trying; paired with these songs and a pitch-perfect command of the style, it works wonders.
Endless Procession of Souls comes out Tuesday, August 28th on Century Media, and you should buy it. The vinyl edition even comes with a 2nd record full of classic covers that I desperately want to hear. In the meantime, we’ve got an exclusive stream of the entire album below. You owe it to your ears to listen to this thing all weekend, on repeat, ad nauseum.
Grave – “Intro – Dystopia”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Grave – “Amongst Marble and the Dead”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Grave – “Disembodied Steps”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Grave – “Flesh Epistle”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Grave – “Passion of the Weak”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Grave – “Winds of Chains”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Grave – “Encountering the Divine”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Grave – “Perimortem”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Grave – “Plague of Nations”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Grave – “Epos”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
PRE-ORDER ENDLESS PROCESSION OF SOULS
. . .
Excited about seeing this dudes open for Morbid Angel next month, and stoked to give this a listen when I get home from work later today. Also stoked that the vinyl comes with an LP of covers. Might help answer the question from an earlier IO post about what non-DM songs would sound like given the HM-2 treatment. Lastly, that is one cool cover. Has an EC Comics feel to it.
Just to clarify the whole HM-2 references, we (Grave) have never used that pedal either live or on any of our albums. In fact hell I’ve never even owned one. That aside you should definitely check this album out, it will rock your socks and cocks off (’scuse me ladies) //Ola
Duly noted! The record kills either way.
>Just to clarify the whole HM-2 references, we (Grave) have never used that pedal either live or on any of our albums.
Strange.
Weird coincidence, I took a peak of Alex Hellid’s pedal board when Entombed played in Chicago 2 years ago, I did not see an HM-2 pedal.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carmeloespanola/4678928629/in/set-72157624224624878
Glad to see that my ears don’t lie to me: until now I felt like I was the only one that didn’t recognize any HM-2 guitar sound in grave’s records, even the earlier ones. Ola you’re the best, keep it fucking brutal
They’ve been dull as shit since Jörgen left anyway, and this is no step in the right direction.
I’ll just stick to Torture Division.
sweet, they are playing here soon too. should be a great time.
Sounds amazing! Thanks for the music Ola! Much respect always! See you guys in St Louis!
I listened to half of it so far and I am loving it. I’ve never listened to Grave before, silly me.
HMP,
Their old stuff is incredible! This album is not quite as heavy as they used to be but still a valiant effort.
I just noticed Winds of Chains seems like a word play on Winds of Change by Scorpions. Nice one.
All it needs is a whistle intro…
Ha! I’ve listened to the album stream a couple of times now, and I’d say this would be a more appropriate soundtrack for building walls than tearing them down.
I think the album cover is awesome too!
Album cover looks like the trash heap from Fraggle Rock.
Grave levererar som vanligt – Stenhård äkta Svensk döds när den är som bäst. Snyggt jobbat gubbar! \m/
Because i couldn’t help myself, I turned to Google Translate:
“Grave delivers as usual – hardcore pure Swedish death at it’s best. Way to go guys! \ m /”
I love this Sound… Fuck Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhh…. This is the Comeback of the true swedish Death Metal… Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrggggghhhhh…