For clarity sake, let me state that this Graveyard up for review is an old-school death metal band from Spain; they have nothing to do with the loveable retro-rocking Swedes that bear the same moniker. With that said anybody that likes their death metal filthy and straight-to-the-point should probably know about this Graveyard.

EPs tend to vary in both the quality and quantity of their content, but with four new tracks and new versions of two older songs, The Altar of Sculpted Skulls is a fairly meaty one. Front to back, it delivers a very satisfying dose of simple, nasty sounding death metal.  The bone-breaking grooves that form the backbone of Graveyard’s sound recall Grave’s Soulless album and should be enough to get even the most seasoned death metal warriors to nod (or bang) their head in approval. “Deathcrowned” and the title track are prime examples of this, and these are the two best songs featured on the CD. Dropping a reference to an album like Soulless only paints part of the picture; the mud and gore production recalls a far less refined brand of death metal, allowing Graveyard to distinguish themselves from the horde of competent Stockholm-inspired bands that have cropped up in recent years. It is also worth pointing out that both of the rerecorded songs originally appeared on older splits, so you aren’t getting any duplication of material from the band’s One with the Dead full-length. 

The Altar of Sculpted Skulls is a really solid EP and something that any serious death metal fan should track down. This certainly isn’t anything new, but the combination of catchy riffs and sheer heaviness is more than enough to compensate for that. It’s getting kind of difficult for bands to stand out using this style, as it has become quite common in recent years, yet I would place Graveyard in the upper third when compared to similar bands, and I am really looking forward to another full length from them.

TRACK LISTING

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*Comments:

1.  The Altar Of Sculpted Skulls
2.  An Epitaph Written In Blood
3.  Deathcrowned
4.  Cult Of The Shadows
5.  Ritual
6.  Howl Of The Black Death

Total playing time:  23:58

Release Date: February 6, 2012
Label: Pulverised Records

Graveyard - The Altar of Sculpted Skulls

Reviewer: Garett

June 20, 2012