EARLY GRAVES – Red Horse

My first EARLY GRAVES experience was their live set as part of the US Abomination Tour with SKELETONWITCH and HAVOK in Baltimore, MD a few weeks ago.  I had never heard the Bay Area act prior to this, but instantly grew attached to their aggressive delivery and distinctive sound.  These guys are tremendous live, and bring great energy and presence during their live set.  Check out Axes to Grind’s coverage of the show HERE and complete photo spread HERE, which includes some great shots of EARLY GRAVES.

EARLY GRAVES released two other albums, both on Iron Clad Recordings, prior to the tragic death of singer Makh Daniels in a van accident in the summer of 2010.  ‘Red Horse’ marks the return of EARLY GRAVES with new singer John Strachan of THE FUNERAL PYRE taking the reigns.  The bottom line is these guys still bring it, and ‘Red Horse’ may be their best effort yet.

Defining the sound of EARLY GRAVES is not easy.  The band’s foundational sound is hardcore crust, yet there is strong old school, EMTOMBED-style Swedish death influence added to create chaotic beats and bursts of radical energy.  The guitars are über-saturated and the drumbeats are punishing, leaving you with the feeling of audible asphyxiation.  There are also aspects to ‘Red Horse’ that are unique to the EARLY GRAVES foundational sound.  The band uses varied and unique intros and outros nicely, which creates a strong sense of identity for each tune on the offering.  Perhaps the best example of this is the one-and-a-half minute outro on “Days Grow Cold.”  The well-designed acoustic guitar piece is in stark contrast to the album’s sound.

The strongest tracks on the album are the title track, “Red Horse,” “Death Obsessed,” and the streaming track below, “Pure Hell.”  For fans of the BLACK BREATH style of hardcore-infused death thrash that is aggressive and blasts out captivating beats, pick this one up without hesitation.  The best part…it comes in vinyl!

LINKS
EARLY GRAVES Official
EARLY GRAVES on Facebook
No Sleep Records

EARLY GRAVES performing “Goner” at Sound & Fury 2012 in Santa Barbara, CA on July 22^nd, 2012.  “Goner” is off the band’s 2010 album of the same name, re-issued by Southern Lord Recordings and available HERE.

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