Well shit, since we're already here in Sweden, I might as well post another nugget of fiendish malevolence from that fair country, namely Cemetary's 1992 DM opus An Evil Shade of Grey. At its core, Shade of Grey is a pretty standard early-90's-Swedeath album--which of course isn't a bad thing at all--but after a moment, one's attention is drawn to the strange keyboard flourishes wisping about ethereally in between the crushing, fuzzed-out guitar riffs and blastbeats, and by the time that the oddly "broken-hearted" lyrics of the (still thunderous) sixth track "Scars" roll around, one's mind might start questioning exactly what is going on here.
Indeed, it makes perfect sense that Cemetary went the same sad direction that other once-great bands like Morgoth and Septic Flesh (to a lesser extent) went as well later in their careers: to that mascara-ed, frilly-shirted pit of undeniable mediocrity known as "gothic metal". But discarding this album due to that sorry fact would be tantamount to throwing out the proverbial "baby" with the proverbial "bathwater"--Shade of Grey stands to this day as a killer fucking release, as heavy and rippin' as just about anything else on the market in 1992. In a way, all the elven grab-assery on this album just adds character to it. Personally, I'd rather have a little variety here and there with my crunchy DM, rather than another 40-minute slog through the same tired riffs and caveman drumming--even if said "variety" consists of a little lute-strumming, keyboard-tickling, or ambient ninny-ism. That's just how I roll.
Download HERE
Purchase HERE
Indeed, it makes perfect sense that Cemetary went the same sad direction that other once-great bands like Morgoth and Septic Flesh (to a lesser extent) went as well later in their careers: to that mascara-ed, frilly-shirted pit of undeniable mediocrity known as "gothic metal". But discarding this album due to that sorry fact would be tantamount to throwing out the proverbial "baby" with the proverbial "bathwater"--Shade of Grey stands to this day as a killer fucking release, as heavy and rippin' as just about anything else on the market in 1992. In a way, all the elven grab-assery on this album just adds character to it. Personally, I'd rather have a little variety here and there with my crunchy DM, rather than another 40-minute slog through the same tired riffs and caveman drumming--even if said "variety" consists of a little lute-strumming, keyboard-tickling, or ambient ninny-ism. That's just how I roll.
Download HERE
Purchase HERE
Metallum/Last.FM
"DEAD RED" (observe those groovy ambient keyboard noises! Nocturnus-esque!):
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