5 Star Grave – Drugstore Hell (2012)

Hailing from Italy, today we have 5 Star Grave and their most recent full-length release “Drugstore Hell”. With a very interesting mix of Melodic Death Metal with some Glam/Sleaze, old-school Rock, and even some electronic elements, this release offers a very engaging mixture of sounds. For 11 tracks this Italian band has one of the most refreshing approaches to Melodic Death Metal we have heard in quite a while.

With a very catchy opening, “Terminal Bedroom” starts with some funky electronic bits that nicely elevate the spirits of this song. The riffing is catchy and the vocals while a bit on the ‘modern Metal’ side of things, are pretty well fitting. After the next catchy tune “Death Put A Smile on My Face”, the band reminded us of Silent Decent and their hyper-catchy brand of Melodic DM. With a more hard-rocking edge, “Love Affair with the Beast” features a nice combination of relentless riffing and funky keyboards.

The funkiness continues with “Daddy” and the very effective female vocals injected into the mix, making this song our favorite track of this release. “Dead Girls Don’t Say No” is the next standout with a very sleazy feeling to it and excellent guitar work. Featuring a sound similar to Hypocrisy on their “Fourth Dimension” album but more melodic, “When The Lights Go Out” is another excellent song with a very catchy chorus section.

Being huge fans (and purists) of Melodic Death Metal, we totally dig the energy and excitement behind “Drugstore Hell”. 5 Star Grave is one of those rare bands that manage to inject a new air into a genre that while very exciting and technically challenging, is in dire need of what these guys have to offer. We highly recommend you get this release if you are into bands like Dark Tranquility, Dark Lunacy, etc. and have a very open mind about adding unconventional elements to their styles.

Release: May 25th, 2012

Country: Italy