Graveyard – Hisingen Blues (2011)

As probably one of the most different bands in the Nuclear Blast roster, today we have Graveyard and their instant Rock classic “Hisingen Blues”. Hailing from Sweden, the band has already made a few successful runs in the USA with the likes of Clutch, Witch and CKY, and they are gathering great momentum behind their intoxicatingly addictive music.

Featuring 9 tracks of pure Hard/Psychedelic Rock tracks, “Hissingen Blues” does a great job in transporting the vibe and musicianship of 70’s rock into a more modern context. In each of the songs, the band infuses their personalities and creates magical tracks that are ready to be enjoyed by all fans of good Rock music.

Opening the release with the uber catchy “Ain’t fit to live here”, the band immediately takes us back to the times of good Rock music and with their all-analog sound they are 100% legit at it. In this song you will wonder if they are truly Swedish since it sounds like something we could have encountered from a Southern/Stoner Rock band from the USA. With “No good, Mr Holden”, the band goes a bit deeper into the darkness and creates a very gritty song that will hypnotize you.

The album titled track has a very nice build-up and shows the dynamic sound of the band while introducing differently paced sections with the both guitars going crazy. In “Uncomfortably Numb” the band goes back a bit into a slower pace and allows the listener to relax and grab a beer and a cigarette while enjoying such a catchy track. The chorus section is brilliant and will surely make this song a fan favorite. The guitar/bass guitar work on “Buying Truth” makes it a nice change of pace from “Uncomfortably Numb”.

“Longing” has the inner workings of a traditional filler song, but the atmosphere around it is just excellent and allows the listener to relax once more before the final onslaught to the end of this album. “Ungreatful Are the Dead” and “RSS” pass by with more brilliant Rock passages and catchy vocal melodies. “The Siren” closes this release with a highly emotional and intoxicating atmosphere that builds up and down through the song. This song is our favorite since it nicely encompasses all the emotions expressed through the release.

While all the new bands playing similar kind of music are focusing their efforts into surrounding them with the right ‘occult’ ideas and concepts, Graveyard will surely take their bread away. This is due to the fact that the band focuses on writing catchy songs that are more accessible to people that just want to listen to good music and forget about the complicated imagery behind it (which if you want to go this way, read the band’s lyrics). If you are looking for an excellent Rock release that has an old-school vibe but with a ‘modern’ edge to it, look no further and pick-up a copy of “Hisingen Blues”.

Release: April 19, 2011

Country: Sweden