Review GRAVEWORM ‘Killing Innocence’

South Tyrol is known for wine, great food, and a lot of sunny days. In such an environment also, the dark side needs to find a place and Graveworm delivers the soundtrack. The band from Bolzano is around since 1992. The quintet released albums on a very regular base, but it was a long waiting time from ‘Ascending Hate’ to the newest longplayer.

Eight long years have gone by, and fans probably didn’t even dare to think about a next release. However, here it is, and it is named ‘Killing Innocence’. The band’s tenth full-length album features ten songs and provides a running time of 48 minutes. So, there is already a lot to listen to, but how about the quality?

Graveworm stick to their roots, which means dark metal with a blackened vibe. It starts with ‘Escorting the Soul’ and it is the sinister sound of a piano that kicks it off. Slowly but steady the opener builds up and the moment the first riff comes to shine, we are on the way. Immediately the expressive voice of frontman Stefan Fiori comes into the picture. The vocals, partly morphing into squealing, are a toll at hand which characterizes the sound of Graveworm. The tempo breaks add another layer to the opener that marks a well-done start into the album.

The first song is a great ambassador for the album since the trademark remain throughout. What changes though is the tempo. The following ‘We are the Resistance’ is slower than the opener and still comes with a similar level of intensity. Shifting gears is the motto before starting ‘Wicked Mind’ with its furious parts.

Atmospheric and kept in a moderate pace., that is ‘Dead Words’ while ‘A Nameless Grave’ pushes dark clouds in front of your soul. The wistful aspect finds its continuation in the orchestral beginning of ‘End of Time’. The song gets heavier though, but the melancholic shades remain.

What also helps the album is the sound. ‘Killing Innocence’ is equipped with a strong and powerful sound which adds brutality to songs like ‘Wrath of Gods’.

It took Graveworm a while to finish their new album. The result though sounds stunning and it seems like the five-piece did use the time effectively to create a refreshing, dynamic and intense new longplayer. And although the sun shines over South Tyrol, it seems like there are some darker corner being out of reach of the sunrays.