ALBUM REVIEW: Dust To Lust – Grave Desecrator
Independent label Seasons of Mist have been on a run of good form with bands recently. Picking up lots of big names to add to their roster as well as the underground’s best upcoming acts. The latest to be added to this exulted company are Brazilian old school death metallers GRAVE DESECRATOR. With two records out on smaller labels their third release Dust To Lust promises to be a full blown assault in the famous South American style of their forbearers SARCOFAGO and early SEPULTURA.
Beginning with atmospheric music that sounds like it could have been lifted from a 70s occult horror film it doesn’t take long for these torch bearers to open their assault. Temple Of Abominations starts slowly before a Latin incantation is roared and the bands true force is unleashed. The track pounds through its six minute length providing that this record is firmly and unashamedly old school. The second track Funeral Mist, whose very title is a homage to MAYHEM, is of the style when extreme metal hadn’t been labelled into categories and BATHORY and POSSESSED sat side by side. Pounding drums and simple raw guitar riffs dominate the track to great effect.
Gods Of Death continues this primitive approach refusing to let up its angry and relentless sonic assault throughout its length. In contrast to this is A Witching Whore which relies on a slightly slower pace and has one of the best riffs from the album on it as well as a ripper of a solo. One of the standout tracks on an album that already stands above many others. Host Desecration is another slower track but no less vicious as the listener can feel the venom dripping from ever riff.
The album’s mid-point Anathema Bloodlust continues the primitive approach with a roared chorus which will be a fixture in live performances for some time to come. After setting itself up the song slows to a crawl and adopts a pure old school approach to its death metal sound. Crushingly heavy. Bleed For Worship is another of GRAVE DESECRATOR’s standard fair, heavy, blasphemous and without any innovation past the late 80s. No need for anything else.
Memento Mori is another short introduction before One More Soul kicks in. By this stage in the album the listener knows not only exactly what they will be getting but that there are no surprises lurking in store for them. A simple and heavy track in line with the rest of the album, if one of the slower ones with a focus on the guitar solo towards the end. Mephistophallus In Occultopussy is another unrelenting track with a drum beat that hammers through its three and a half minutes and barely seems to have started before its finished. The albums closer Perpetual Oath begins with an introduction and a riff set to a slow drum beat before GRAVE DESECRATOR unleash their blasphemous fury one last time to blast through the track leaving ears too ruptured to hear the gradual fade out to silence.
Primitive is the word that comes to mind to describe this album, shortly followed by brilliant. Playing extreme metal of the oldest variety is all too often overdone and uninspired. Not here. GRAVE DESECRATOR have completely nailed the sound they were aiming for with Dust To Lust. With production clear enough to hear everything without comprising the music, something of a miracle in itself for this style, and album artwork that could not fit better, this is the album to true announce that GRAVE DESECRATOR have arrived and their very angry at your lack of belief in the old school spirit…
Rating 9/10
Dust To Lust is set for release on June 17th via Season of Mist.
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