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Graven Image > People in Hell Still Want Ice Water > Reviews
Graven Image - People in Hell Still Want Ice Water

Obscure but Good - 85%

nightzblood, January 9th, 2008

This release compiles the obscure recordings of the mythical Graven Image, who are probably best known for the four-figure price tag associated with their excellently-titled ‘People in Hell Want Ice Water’ 12”. Overall, Graven Image play straight-up, no frills, traditional 80s metal; think along the lines of Liege Lord and other US bands from 1983-1985, before the glam- and thrash scenes exploded. The musicianship and recording quality are surprisingly competent and indicate that this was not just a half-baked garage band but rather a project with some promise. The vocals are in the mid-slightly high range but are not shrill or nasally like many of their contemporaries who tried (and failed) to imitate Geof Tate and David DeFeis (Queensryche and Virgin Steele).

The two songs from the 12” are both solid, mid-tempo, galloping heavy metal (again, think of Liege Lord, Griffin, Gothic Knights, etc). I can’t say that the songs are so incredible as to justify the current asking price for the original 12” vinyl, but they are strong metal numbers. The picture disc tracks include ‘The Door’, which is more of the same, and slightly different versions of the songs from the 12” (the differences neither help nor hurt the songs). Finally, the demo tracks are a mixed bag; the production varies, as does the vocalist. On ‘Armageddon’ it sounds like the same singer as on the earlier tracks, but the vocalist on ‘Wings of War’ is definitely someone different. The last five tracks are instrumentals. While I’m not a big fan of metal instrumentals, these are all solid songs, and I can’t help but wonder whether they were meant to have lyrics but the vocal tracks just never got recorded. There are no dates given for the demo recordings, which leads to the major complaint I have with this release- a lack of information. The CD comes with only a single-sided insert, which is dominated by a thanks/acknowledgements list. Some more info on the band’s history would have been appreciated, but at least the music is presented and holds up well.