Graftage
Secret Garden
10 Track Album
Released 23rd November 2013
Written for Blackened Horde/Crimson MoonZine
Graftage
– Italy
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/graftagemetalband
Genre: Metal
"As the track develops the metal chugs are strong and empowering proving that the band are not shying away from certain experimentation, but it seems that this for the main part of the track has been done before – so nothing totally new to throw at the metal world there"
Enuma Elish is quite a sophisticated track to open with its rolling piano and
strange accompaniment to a very melodic instrumental backdrop.
Furthering onto the next track, As
Gods shows some harsh gritty vocals but still not straying from its musical
sophistication, hosting some Spanish guitar.
Planet of Gods lulls the listener into a frantic frenzy as you may think that the
track has a glitch of some kind as it stops and starts but don’t worry it is
all part of their master plan. As the track develops the metal chugs are strong
and empowering proving that the band are not shying away from certain experimentation,
but it seems that this for the main part of the track has been done before – so
nothing totally new to throw at the metal world there.
Storm quickens its flourishing tempos and delivers brazen style, although
it is quite an inbred kind of track, meaning again it has been done before, but
not without some kind of fuel injected adrenalin.
We are leaving is a typical metal track with a repetitious groove and a smattering
of chugs we all know and love, with fast paced drumming that’s always welcome.
Dead and empty sees the band return to their roots and back to the air of
sophistication although soon after, things do change somewhat and not for the
better either, with a hideous, off key vocal – the music only saving itself by
the skin of its teeth forging some fast and incredible drumming!
Secret Garden the title track launches into a harshness of vocal grit and
formidable keyboard that plays out and leaves a metal imprint but nothing too
serious to shake your head to.
Theia the day of doom lets out an almighty explosion of samples and then an eerie ambient
direction of electric guitar takes hold, accompanied by a powerful battering of
solid skins. This has to be my favourite track on the album so far, being in
the dramatic vein of metal intensity.
Hyper holds an urgent and shrill satisfaction and then levels out into a
steady paced track, although vocally again leaves a lot to be desired, until
the crisp harshness returns and redeems itself all be it slightly.
Bonus Track this meanders until it simply explodes into a fierce and
uncompromising malevolence of fire and brimstone which nearly threw me off
guard.
To Sum up:
There isn’t a lot I can tell you about Graftage as their page is quite sparse of information but the album
in places is a bit disappointing and yet in others highly enterprising. It
isn’t your average metal album and not something you can listen to at the drop
of a hat, although definitely in places very old hat but with certain modern
twists that are its saving grace.
When the vocals are sung cleanly they fail to meet expectations as
they are clearly off key, but forced into a grisly molten melting pot are highly
satisfying and rewarding. The track dead
and empty is in my opinion a bit of both inadequate and yet musically
gratifying.
To be fair, and it has to be said, that Batty Blackheart is a
multi-talented artist and what he makes up for with some dodgy off key vocal,
he certainly makes up for in musical ability.
It is definitely a bit hit and miss and not without its flaws, but
without fear of a doubt Theia the day of
doom rules supreme for me proving that Graftage
do have it in them to produce some powerful uncompromising metal.
7/10
Track List:
Enuma Elish
As Gods
Planet of Gods
Storm
We are leaving you, Gea
Dead and Empty
Secret Garden
Theia the Day of Doom
Hyper
Bonus Track
Members:
Batty Blackheart – Bass/Guitars/Keyboards/Vocals
Gio - Drums
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