Vore - Gravehammer (2011) - While I've heard of these guys, I've never actually listened to their music. But a couple months ago, I happened upon their page and found that I actually really liked it. Since the band is classified as doom/death, and that is one of my favorite genres, especially when done right; I knew that I had to check it out.
I was always curious as to what the band's name meant, and I found this definition:
"Vorarephilia (often shortened to vore) is a sexual fetish and paraphilia where arousal occurs from the idea of being eaten, eating another, observing this process, or by the general process of eating. The fantasy most frequently involves the victim being swallowed alive, and may or may not include digestion. Since the fetish is physically impossible to achieve in real life, it is enjoyed through pictures, stories, videos, and video games. It may be seen as a variation on macrophilia in some cases, and may also be combined with other fetishes.
The word vorarephilia is derived from the Latin vorare (to "swallow" or "devour"), which is cognate to Greek βορά (vorá, "food"), and Ancient Greek φιλία (philía, "love")."
Immediately, I was intrigued by this (especially being a big fan of the Bloodbath song, "Eaten" which I played religiously at one point) and felt that this also gave me an idea of their sound. It is quite simply like something being eaten, digested and then shit out again. The band had a very dirty doom/death style that I think is absolutely at peak levels on this, their fourth disc.
Vore seems to prove that they don't need to release an album every other year, like 9/10 of the scene and that's what makes their sound seem to pay off so well.
It is definitely worth the anticipation and could see the band gaining greater fame in the musical industry if they desired it.
The band sounds as crisp and clear as any well produced disc that a major label shits out these days, but the music is actually memorable, and puts a possible spin on an old sound. There are definite experimentations this time around, and the use of atmospheres works well to their advantage. The music itself is hard, crushing, and over all, brutal. If you don't like this disc, I suggest that you get your head examined, or check out the new Korn album as metal may not be the choice of music for you.
The riffs are fleshed out into grandiose rhythms that quake with an epic ferocity. Whatever the hell came out this year that thought it was heavy, these gentlemen have stomped well upon. Songs like "Gravehammer 7:43", "The Cruelest Construct 8:32", "Doomwhore 7:43" and "The Claw Is The Law 8:32" really cement the fact that this band is certainly a force to be reckoned with. The drums on the disc are pummeling as the killer vocals that Page is belting out, sounding as good and gravelly as they need to. Sometimes there's a scream used, but it does work well with the music.
Effects are used on the disc as well, making things even more epic than they already are. This is probably one of the most bombastic and epic doom/death discs that I've ever heard, and it's up there with my best of 2011. People who thought the new Esoteric was good, haven't yet heard this.
The melodies on the disc are superb, and at first you wouldn't expect to hear beautiful melodies and solos on a disc as dark and uncompromising as this, but the melody really helps to shape the music. From a musical standpoint, this disc is extremely well crafted, right down to the bass rhythms. Vore sounds incredibly technical here, and the polish of these songs can be well felt. While I am not sure of their other discs, this album is certainly one of my personal favorite discs of the year, and I wasn't expecting that.
The artwork on the disc was also quite attractive. It really screams death metal when you've got an armored fire elemental with a warhammer on the front of it. This is probably one of the discs that I would've bought when I was younger, just because it had a badass looking thing on the cover. Trust me, when you're young, that shit matters. But what makes that concept even more great, is that the disc sounds as epic as the goddamned cover art looks. That's pretty fucking tough to do guys.
As far as I'm concerned, this disc is far better than the new Amon Amarth released this year, and it should be selling umpteen million copies. If the band doesn't become a couple thousand (maybe a million) dollars richer from this effort, I'd be shocked and would lose my faith in man entirely.
This disc has prog, it has thrash, it has death metal, it has the sheer epicness of what death metal fucking should be. Slow and brutal, but delivering on every song with an unparalleled and uncompromising approach, I definitely have enjoyed this disc much more than most of the death metal I've reviewed this year. It's better than the Paganizer I reviewed also, even though I loved that disc too. But not near as much as this one.
Some of you might think that I'm just talking flack to butter up the owner of this board, but I will tell you with all sincerity that that is not true, as I have nothing to gain from this. I am simply reviewing this as I would any other album. If you PM me, I will tell you the same as I've said here. This disc threw me for a fucking unexpected loop. I was expecting some slow doom death with southern influence. But what I got was some epic doom/death with tight and well-crafted musicianship.
Well, you know how I am about 1:00 instrumental pieces, "Uroborous" (It could have been part of the song) but I think that's a minor gripe compared to the death metal that I've been delivered here. I really don't think there's anything more you can ask for in a doom/death album.
You really should buy it, because it's worth it. Hell, I would. I still can't fucking get over how good this disc is. Get your hands on this shit now. The wait was worth it. This is how death metal should sound, as far as I am concerned. A great disc to play while killing thousands of monsters in Skyrim or Diablo III.
It's perfect for a killing spree. Summon up some demons to battle, and go get your Gravehammer.
666
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