ALBUM REVIEW: Grave Image – Deathwhite

In today’s digital age, often, the focus point people have towards bands and musicians can often be of that of the personnel’s private lives rather than the music itself. It’s an absurd trend and one in which detracts from the art in which they create but for DEATHWHITE, who intentionally keep themselves shrouded in anonymity, from day one the focus has always been about the music in which they create. Looking to build upon the foundations of 2018’s For A Black Tomorrow, sophomore effort Grave Image is an album rich in character and one in which showcases a band hitting their creative zenith.

Opener Funeral Ground kicks the album off in heavy fashion as doom-drive riffs make an instant connection whilst the the vocals twist from melancholic cleans to powerful booms, sounding akin to death-doom heavyweights SWALLOW THE SUN but if you expect Grave Image to just be a typical one trick pony of melodic-leaning doom, then you are mistaken. Grave Image has many tricks up its sleeves and over the course of its runtime, DEATHWHITE demonstrate a proficiency to their craft and the resulting experience is utterly magnificent.

Sure, there are moments on Grave Image where the band up the intensity of their metallic elements as Further From Salvation boasts some of the heaviest opening riffs on the record, sounding akin to the melodeath style that Scandinavian bands have perfected for decades, before subsiding into passages where the vocals truly shine, the snappy tempo of Plague of Virtue injects a much needed bout of adrenaline in the album’s closing third, whilst Among Us sees the band balance the heavy riffs and soaring vocals to create an experience that is utterly gripping. It’s clear that Grave Image doesn’t intend to go for the jugular with the heavier elements in their sound, instead, their deployment is subtle and it really helps the album display a wonderful sense of individuality.

Whilst DEATHWHITE certainly do possess an explosive firepower in their bellies when called upon, the true beauty with Grave Image is the stunning and captivating way in which they incorporate melancholic melodies to ensnare your attention. The title track, one of the album’s highlights, oozes in class thanks to phenomenal vocals make an instant connection, Words of Dead Men has one of the best pieces of lead guitar work on the entire album and the versatile vocals on No Horizon really compliments the dynamic riffing that switches from crooning melodies to metallic-driven passages. The level of care, attention and dedication to getting the melodic characteristics of their sound just right is more than evident throughout Grave Image‘s journey and further bolsters the claim that this release could very well be their magnum opus.

What DEATHWHITE have achieved with Grave Image is nothing short of outstanding. A rich and multi-layered album full of quality, the beauty lies within the details and Grave Image‘s vast layers will have you coming back time and and time again. It’s a bleak and melancholic listen, but one that is very much worth your time.

Rating: 9/10

Grave Image is set for release on January 31st via Season of Mist.

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