Graven Image: New Face of Metal
Graven Image
Release Date: 2006
Track List:
Entrance Wound (1:27)
Hands around your Neck (3:45)
Peeling the Sun (3:30)
Wall (2:43)
Wicked Imprint (3:59)
Carved (3:11)
I have to say that I am a biased fan and had high expectations for this EP because I am a longtime fan of Kainan. I have been since he first fronted the former, brutally intense, tribalistic aggrocore band Mahalah which was first conceived around the turn of the century and had a short spree of mutilating audiences around Northern California until around 2001-2002. I expected this self-titled effort to bring it on in a mutilating fashion.
Upon hearing Graven Image's first track - a dark industrial skit called "Entrance Wound" - I thought it was interesting in a creepy kind of way. I wasn't prepared for the onslaught of sick grinding guitars, tight percussion explosions from drummer Wood or Kainan flexing from the aggressive intimidating vocals that I and many have come to know. He brought in a surprise during the chorus midway through "Hands Around Your Neck" with well placed harmonized lyrics. Good choice to fire you up and get you going.
"Peeling the Sun" starts out with sinister tremolo laced guitars and a few spoken words of demise then progresses into a serious harmonic rhythm (Hectic on guitar and Spider on bass) that made me wish I had a victim around that I could force into a mosh pit. Judging from a more critical view point, "Wall" gripped me once again as the realization started to set in.
I noticed that Graven Image breaks out of the norm of most super aggressive metal bands as each song carries its own style and feel. They don’t get caught in the groove of blasting you with what can sound like the same song over and over. The final track, "Wicked Imprint" comes at you with a grindcore-ish fury that I think was a perfect enticement for making you want more.
I’m looking forward to seeing these guys live as now I would say my expectations have been met for sure. Graven Image is a tight machine out for blood, so be sure to keep an eye out for future dates in a town near you.
From CD cover to recording quality and musicianship - outstanding. I rate Graven Image’s self-titled debut at an 8.5 on the Richter scale. Job well done guys.
You can check out more on Graven Image at:
http://myspace.com/gravenimage
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