It hardly seems like a coincidence that Swedish rockers Graveyard chose the fall to release their fourth full-length effort, Innocence & Decadence. Just as shimmery summer days begin their slow transition into dark winter nights, the band, too, is ripe with change. After a lineup swap that saw co-founding bassist Rikard Edlund out and founding member Truls Mörck back in, one had to wonder what kind of an impact it might have on Graveyard's brand of '70s inspired blues-rock. The change, as it turns out, suits them just fine.
From the psyched-out swing of opener "Magnetic Shunk" to the dripping, bare bones vulnerability of closer "Stay For A Song," the material on Innocence & Decadence is everything you'd expect from a Graveyard album plus a little bit more. There's a touch of Motown-inspired soul here, and some acid-tripping psychedelia there. Hell, there's even a blast beat on this sucker. In fact, the band seem more than capable of plucking any style from their eclectic array of influences and painting it with their signature blues rock sound. And there are other surprises too: guitarist Jonathan Ramm competently takes over lead vocal duties on "Far Too Close," while "A Hole In The Wall" treats us to Truls Mörck's husky croon for the first time since the band's debut.
So as you cling to summer's last few blissful rays of warmth this fall, remember that change is inevitable. Maybe if we all moved forward with the same amount of confidence and authentic bravado as Graveyard, it might even be welcomed.
(Nuclear Blast)From the psyched-out swing of opener "Magnetic Shunk" to the dripping, bare bones vulnerability of closer "Stay For A Song," the material on Innocence & Decadence is everything you'd expect from a Graveyard album plus a little bit more. There's a touch of Motown-inspired soul here, and some acid-tripping psychedelia there. Hell, there's even a blast beat on this sucker. In fact, the band seem more than capable of plucking any style from their eclectic array of influences and painting it with their signature blues rock sound. And there are other surprises too: guitarist Jonathan Ramm competently takes over lead vocal duties on "Far Too Close," while "A Hole In The Wall" treats us to Truls Mörck's husky croon for the first time since the band's debut.
So as you cling to summer's last few blissful rays of warmth this fall, remember that change is inevitable. Maybe if we all moved forward with the same amount of confidence and authentic bravado as Graveyard, it might even be welcomed.
