𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…
August 1, 1991 — Grave released their first full-length studio album, Into the Grave via Century Media Records. (Apple Music or Spotify)
Background:
On Into the Grave, Grave keep things straightforward as possible, but they touch on a variety of Metal traditions, combining Autopsy style doom riffs, mid-paced Bolt Thrower ear-pounding, the D-beat Punk of typical Swedish Death Metal, and plenty of those atmospheric guitar solos that frequently leap out, covered in reverb and opening up the music’s scope.
The production on this album is a force to be reckoned with. It’s far murkier than is typical for this region, with heavy bass tones lurking dominantly beneath every sustained chord.
The drums are equally bassy, with no high end or decay on the snare, resulting in near constant, pillow punching madness. Then there’s the fact that Grave’s philosophy, despite drawing on many exterior traditions within Extreme Metal at the time, is ultimately out to keep things as dirty and primitive as possible.
These production choices were not mere compensation for lack of originality, but to actively bolster up the ethos of muddy sludge that is this album. With sloppy breaks giving way to chaotic Thrash passages, and the guitars struggling to keep up with the drums, weighed down as they are by the muddy tone.
Overview:
The Swedish Death Metallers known as Grave were formed in 1986 by vocalist and guitarist Ola Lindgren in Visby which sits on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, with Ola being their only constant member. The band had particular success in the early 1990s, with their first four albums, Into the Grave, You'll Never See..., Soulless and Hating Life, cementing their reputation as one of Sweden's foremost Death Metal bands. In many circles of fans in the Metal community, you can’t mention old-school Death Metal without someone dropping the name Grave into the conversation.
The band humbly began in 1986 under the moniker of Corpse, before changing their name to Grave in 1988. They recorded various demos from 1986 to 1991, and recorded some singles and EPs as well. Their debut full-length album Into the Grave was released in August 1991 by Century Media Records. Grave were one of the most prolific names on the Swedish Death Metal demo scene in the late 80’s to early 90’s, while Into the Grave firmly planted them on the map internationally, with the album leading them to both, a European tour and the bands first ever North American tour.
The music on Into the Grave is the epitome of the "𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚌" Swedish Death Metal sound, meaning that the bands name and the album are synonymous to the genre. What this equates to is no flash, no frills, brutal, mid- to fast paced Death Metal. The album was produced by Thomas Skogsberg and Grave at Sunlight Studios, and the down-tuned guitars feature that characteristic Sunlight buzzsaw tone, with the overall dark, and slightly muddy production. The vocals by frontman Jorgen Sandströmare very brutal yet, understandable. Their gore inflected, horror themed lyrics were typical of the period, with song titles like Deformed and Extremely Rotten Flesh representing the core of those themes.
One of the earliest examples of Death Metal and one of Sweden’s big four along with Dismember, Entombed and Unleashed, Grave has nevertheless become one of the more understated of these acts despite having enjoyed considerable success during its initial run. The early lineup was comprised of Lindgren (guitars and vocals), Jörgen Sandström (guitars and vocals for the first three albums, before leaving to join fellow Swedes Entombed), Jens Paulsson (drums), and Jonas Torndal (bass). Over the past few decades, Death Metal has become one of the most popular sub-genre’s of Metal, branching off into other sub-categories like Melodic Death, Blackened Death, Death-Doom, and Death ‘N Roll, but in its adolescence the style showcased a rawness that has, for the most part, long since passed.
Grave might not have been as technical as bands like Death, Atheist, or Cynic, choosing instead to rely on the brutality of overly distorted riffs, guttural vocals, and blast-beats in the vein of Swedish contemporaries; Carnage, Entombed, and Dismember, but the bands simplistic delivery was sonically devastating. And, while Death were in the midst of developing their brand of Progressive Death Metal, and Suffocation were becoming even more brutal, I found satisfaction in the pure, raw straightforwardness that Grave presented with Into the Grave.
In conclusion; as much as the fickle fans of modern Extreme Metal in this era try to sweep Grave under the rug, or try to wipe away the foothold the band has in the past, present and future of Death Metal, the truth remains that their contributions to the genre of Death Metal have left a deep impression that can never be disputed or forgotten. And, as underrated as Grave may be, Into the Grave has undoubtedly influenced a countless number Death Metal bands henceforth, whether or not the album receives its due credit. — E.N. Wells
Re-issues:
The album was re-issued on May 29, 2001 in the US by Century Media as Into the Grave/Tremendous Pain.
The re-issue featured seven extra tracks: Track 12 and 16 appeared on Tremendous Pain single, while track 13 and 14 appeared on the In the Eyes of Death compilation.
Track 15 and 17 appeared on Promo 91 Demo, while track 18 was a pre-production demo.
Notice: Any reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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