Grave Miasma - Exalted Emanation
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Better late than never! Grave Miasma graced many year-end lists in 2009, but only recently did I hear them. Two members of this British band are in Cruciamentum, whose demo (downloadable here) you guys received favorably. Cruciamentum is plenty filthy; Grave Miasma is positively hellish. If Portal is the current extreme for Lovecraftian death metal horror, Impetuous Ritual (reviewed here) is a lesser extreme, and Grave Miasma another. This is an old, esoteric sound – perhaps Incantation started it – and it’s trend-proof.
The sound is ugly and challenging. Catchiness and resolution are nonexistent. In their stead is fraught buzzing, as if something bad will round the corner soon. But it never does. This can be boring and undynamic if one doesn’t pay close attention. If one does, though, it’s hard not to feel sick. The performances are precise for this kind of material, and subtle background sounds add extra horror (think video game sound design). One sits when one plays video games; one sits when one hears Grave Miasma. It is not metal for headbanging, but for unspeakable thoughts.
[audio: GRAVEMIASMA_PILLARS.mp3]
[audio: GRAVEMIASMA_AMORPHOUS.mp3]
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Grave Miasma are playing the Hole in the Sky festival this year. Have you seen the lineup? Holy shit!
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LP photos
20 Buck Spin (LP)
Sepulchral Voice (CD, LP)
Order direct from the band (CD, LP)
Interview @ Voices from the Darkside
Todestrieb (CD, streaming samples of all tracks)
