Description

Double album on white vinyls with gatefold cover a sinister cover version of Bon Jovis Runaway as bonus Italian symphonic/death/black metal band Graveworms ninth full-length offering was released in 2015. With this new opus – titled Ascending Hate – the band has served up a sinister new platter of artfully-orchestrated evil. Like their countrymen in Fleshgod Apocalypse and Stormlord, Graveworm has, from the very beginning, incorporated symphonic arrangements (via keyboard) into an otherwise very fast, very heavy black metal sound. They’ve moved in a more melodic direction over the years, and on Ascending Hate they have almost as much of a melodic death metal sound as they do a symphonic side. Actually, the keyboards seem dialled back here, pushing the blastbeat drumming and guitar work way out front. More beast than beauty, as it were. And that’s not a bad thing. Graveworm does aggressive and brutal well, and Stefano Fiori’s growl is so perfect for this kind of music. His guttural tone contrasts so well with the melody on Stillborn, and carries all the sinister intent of songs like Buried Alive and Blood, Torture and Death perfectly. There will no doubt be some fans pining for the 90s Graveworm sound who won’t be satisfied here, but this is a band that evolves, and does it well. Ascending Hate is a very solid album that hopefully will expand this band’s fanbase. It has a good crossover potential between fans of symphonic metal bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse, Stormlord and Dimmu Borgir as well as death metal bands like Soilwork, Dismember and Hypocrisy. Track listing: 1. The Death Heritage 2. Buried Alive 3. Blood / Torture / Death 4. To The Empire Of Madness 5. Downfall Of Heaven 6. Stillborn 7. Liars To The Lions 8. Rise Again 9. Son Of Lies 10. Nocturnal Hymns Part II (The Death Anthem) 11. Runaway-Bon Jovi cover