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Metal Assault in association with CWG Magazine presents

Track Listing: Rites of the Pentagram Decibel Ritual Bloodsoaked Pissing on Your Grave The Luciferian Mark By Scourge and Wrath A Celebration of Wounds Reckoning [B.C.F.S.] One Million Dead and Counting

Because Zeus himself has smiled upon us, we have had the pleasure of listening to savage, destructive, serious death metal in the form of the new album Rites Of The Pentagram by Gravehill. Since chicks dig us we also listened to their included ep, Metal of Death/Advocation of Murder & Suicide. Gravehill's current lineup features J. Corpsemolester on bass, Mike Abominator singing, Bodybag Bob on guitar, and Thorgrimm on drums.

The title track begins the begin with a pure blitzkrieg. We can't hide and don't want to. Guitar, drums, and vocals assault with commitment and righteousness. Growls stay within and we can sometimes encode them. Hard guitar riffs like Buzzo's and Iommi's yield heft and maturity. Layered or twin guitars are faster and we're thinking about Metallica, Van Halen, and Daniel Lioneye. When it's just guitar riffs and drums this is complete.

"Decibel Ritual" wants to be your friend by giving you gifts. One of these gifts is hard guitar chords. Another is pounding, relentless drums heavy on snare. Yet one more is growls that don't dig too deeply because they don't need to. Bass is nice, too. Laughter is perfect as are backing vocals. Vocals are slow over winding guitar and wild drums and then a guitar solo hits and it's pure Lindstrom or Van Halen because it's unbelievably fast. Bass at the end is rare as is feedback.

We've been rocked so hard we're soaked with blood. "Bloodsoaked" continues the trip and things are way way way out of control. Guitar just winds while bass in small amounts keeps things together. Snare drums pound and hurtle. At 1/3 it stops then starts and guitar riffs are rolling over. Drums are right there and vocals are perfectly mixed on top. Guitar riffs want to take over but they stay. Higher guitar chords bring to mind classic guitarists like Hendrix, May and von Arb. This song is beyond pure.

After she dies we might spill some fluids on her grave because she was a b*&^h to us. "Pissing on Your Grave" kicks it into the highest gear and has friendly lyrics like "Your existence is worthless/The time has come for you to die". We're in Olympus. High, long guitar chords like May's bring home the warmth. Fast guitar riffs lay below where they do little damage. Twin or layered guitar fuels things like gas for a 1964 Vette. We're almost breathless because we've been pulverized and dug it.

If she really likes you she'll leave her mark on you. "The Luciferian Mark" swings and grinds and gets into it like all Lioneye. Fast guitar riffs, slower drums, faster growls, and bass that's just candy create a divine feel. When the guitar's shortly more complex we feel a needed variety like needing to see Naima. The vibe is Motorhead and Lioneye and the assault unending. A longer growl is like rolling with Naima and four of her hottest friends with all of them wanting to pleasure us. Longer guitar chords flow like the river Styx and backing vocals are straight from Hades.

Read the rest of the review here.