Graves of the Archangels

About these guys you can hear opinions in the context of revelation, especially when it comes to describing worthy successors for Morbid Angel, Incantation or Immolation. There is some truth in it, although it must also be made clear that it would be very harmful to attribute Dead Congregation as the blind imitation. It turned out that the group had an idea for itself, and at the same time that by not reinventing the wheel, it's possible to create equally thrilling, death metal albums similar to those from the nineties. First foretaste was an ep "Purifying Consecrated Ground", 3 years later, much more forcefully, the release of the discussed "Graves Of The Archangels" - the band's official debut.

Death metal performed by the Greeks is therefore everything that is most desirable in extremes, i.e. a dose of a stuffy and gloomy - straight from the cover - atmosphere, without boredom. A great impression is made, for example, by a large number of morbidish riffs, impeccable technique, "onwardish" rhythms, doom metal inserts, numerous variations outside the classical instrumentation (I am talking about choirs and this type), cannonades of blasts, and most importantly, composing. By this the latter thing, there is no sudden hesitation (both qualitative and stylistic ) or rolling over and over again patents that are too similar to each other. Anywaaay, such tracks as "Morbid Paroxysm", "Source Of Fire" (the ending is close to the late Immolation, oh, really close!), "Vanishing Faith", "Teeth Into Red" (the most spectacular - again, I refer to the album's variations) or the title track (great gaining momentum), it doesn't go wrong! All of them (and those not mentioned as well), apart from the fact that they are played with great commitment, are distinguished by their own idea of ​​the atmosphere and excellent references to larger names. Also enough not to consider Dead Congregation as "some ordinary resultant" of the three mentioned bands in the introduction of this review.

Albums such as "Graves Of The Archangels" perfectly show that in the 21st century there are very good death metal releases that you want to come back to and which you can confidently put on the podium with the greatest from the last century. It's even more surprising that the Greeks from the Dead Congregation did not try to make the most exhilarating old school.

Originally on: https://subiektywnymetal.blogspot.com/2021/11/dead-congregation-graves-of-archangels.html

This LP is eerie and that's what I like about it. For a debut, it kicks royal ass! The music is tight, the vocals are guttural and the production quality is top notch. I like how they change it up a lot during this release. It's really dark and depressing. That is till the actual songs get going and the album progresses very nicely. The guitar riffs are amazing! Really original and innovative. Especially being a band that's just getting started (basically) in the death metal world. I would say this one is one of the top releases in 2008. I think that I'm right in saying so. But for now, we can view it as a somewhat classic album.

Tempos are changing all the time and it's this way throughout the album. It's really impeccably flawless. Hence the reason for giving it a perfect score. If you're a death metal fan, I'm sure you'll have no problem clinging to this debut. It's just a little atypical in the sense that their introduction and ending are just sort out of way to the core of the album. Not saying that this is bad, but it's tricky. It's as if you're thinking "when does the music actually begin?" Well, it does and pretty violently. They do a good job with the intro/outro. They're really fixated on this brutality after the beginning sets forth then the ending segues until the finality of the release.

Production was good, especially for a first album release. The drums beat in your head unrelentingly. And the guitars are fast and furious. Am stupefied as to why I didn't discover the band until recently. This one is more diverse than their follow-up. But mainly, the riffs are where it's at. I'm sure a lot of fans would say that's where they're strong point is. The vocals are guttural and growling. They go well with the release and how it's constructed. They guitars are what makes this album amazing. But I think it's a whole band sort of contribution. Everyone did their part just fine.

If you're curious about this one and want to try it out if you're a death metal fan or just metal YouTube should have it on there or if you have Spotify, you can digitally download the release. It's worth it, one debut that sure as hell kicks ass. It's just brutal, original and uncompromising. Definitely should be a part of you discography or at least on your download section or YouTube link to the LP. You can just try a few songs and see if it's something that you'd enjoy. I'm sure taking a liking to this album is not difficult. It's really worth it worth checking out and worth admiring their talent!

As I am now waiting in anticipation for the release of their second full-length partly to distract myself from thinking how it's going to sound and partly to express my true admiration for the band, I decided to write this probably pointless review about the legendary Graves Of The Archangels.

At this production, the band, to achieve the sharp anti-Christianity style that they try to produce via the band's image (lyrics, cover, interviews) , they twist the meaning of orthodox psalms and prayers (performed in Greek) and use them with the opposite meaning from their original one.

The whole result gives the impression that the songs were written to accompany the psalms or the other way around. Something which, of course, is not true at all (in fact, A.V. has stated that the general thought is creating instrumental songs and then adding the lyrics) and we well attribute to the band's songwriting talent and the ability to sound both familiar and at the same time unique.

All in all, Dead Congregation easily achieve what many of the today's death metal bands lack, which is creating atmosphere and feeling. The thick darkness that they present in this full- length is achieved by slow guitar riffs and to-the-point drumming (close to the Covenant by Morbid Angel) that really subjugates the listeners. My poor opinion is that, together with Portal, Mitochondrion and Ulcerate, Dead Congregation form the death metal elite of our time simply by using traditional materials they create something fresh, progressive, personal, and unique.

In a wave of Incantation styled bands that (usually) show to be no more than a cheap rehash of what the aforementioned band had done to the death metal genre, Dead Congregation prove to be very worthy of imitating the style and are one of the best in the lot. Their brand of Incantation-esque death metal does not necessarily bring anything new to the table, but it does succeed in crushing it down with an iron and ruthless fist, taking you and your eardrums with it. The sound for which Incantation is renowned is for having some of the heaviest death metal around, and Dead Congregation's debut full-length does anything but disappoint.

The first track, “Martyrdoom,” has a lot of eerie but coherent things going on with the guitars. It doesn’t really show what the rest of the album will sound like, but it does indeed provide an atmosphere that prepares you for the rest of the journey. As soon as “Hostis Humani Generis” kicks off, you’ll be met by very intense death metal. The guitars are heavily distorted and the riffs are usually dominated by tremolo-picking, at times seeming to be all over the place, but that actually come together very compactly. The overt effort and thought these guys put into their riffs and music definitely pays off. Every now and then you’ll hear a doom-laden or eerie passage that aren’t quite as prevalent as the tremolo-picking madness, but they are seen throughout and do a lot more for the music, adding variety to the already remarkable musicianship and songwriting. A worthy mention on this album is the title track. It begins with an uncanny chant of some sort, weird and definitely creepy, adding to the ambiance and creating a peculiar yet great effect. Soon the guitars follow, playing doomy riffs and getting faster as the song progresses. This one contains ridiculously many catchy and somber riffs and they cease to end, at every corner showing to everyone once again their outstanding songwriting skills.

The vocals demonstrate how low death metal growls in all of their headbang-inducing glory can result in catastrophic yet tremendously satisfying results for the listener. They can be described as sort of sludgy yet immensely intense and low at the same time. They blend in with the music, becoming part of it but when paid close attention to indeed prove to be yet another stellar facet on this record. And ah, the drums. Not only is Vagelis Voyiantzis one of the fastest drummers around at this day and age, but he thrives in adding technique and complex patterns to his drumming that are absolutely mind-blowing. Fast drummers are heard almost every day, but ones that that have actual skill and talent are rather scarce. His double bass work is ridiculously fast, as are his hand and blast beat work. They are constantly and ferociously blasting away in the background while the riffs dominate the atmosphere.

I will refrain from further praising this album because if I do, I’ll probably continue rambling on for several more pages. This is one of the best death metal albums in the vein of Incantation that has been released in a long while. And hell, these guys hail from Greece. In all honesty, how many bands do you see coming out of there that succeed in simultaneously blowing your mind and crushing your head while you headbang your way to oblivion? Get this now.

-SmithMetal84

Originally written for http://ravenousreviewswebzine.blogspot.com

Ahhhh I remember how I felt when I first heard this album. My first reaction can be summed up in 1 word: UAAAAGGGHH. Maybe that is not a word. Whatever this album has so many awesome riffs. In fact more awesome riffs than pretty much every album ever. However this gem is more than just riffs. I’ll tell you what s this album has and why you should buy it. You could also not buy it if you hate yourself for some reason, really really hate yourself. Really, really, really hate yourself. Really, really, rea.... yes I guess you got the point now.

So what do we have here. Well we basically got a new york death metal album that sounds like it came from when the scene in New York was at it's best. However this beast is not from early 90's New York but from Athens in Greece from the year 2008. I personally don't really associate Greece with death metal but like they say RIFFS transcend borders. Read a transcendental death metal joke here.

The Album art is interesting. The band wanted it to look like the music they made. I have to disagree with them on this. The art looks like something from a bad dream and this album doesn't sound dreamy at all. I like the art despite it not looking as the album sounds.

The production, the tones and mixing on this album are modern but only the good sides of modern. All the instruments can be heard clearly but without any sterility that plagues so many albums these days. Everything sounds like how it should. With meat, with power and with atmosphere. It's all perfect.

When it comes to the actual songs. Well like I said earlier they sound like they were made in New York. A mixture between all the big classic bands NYDM bands from the early 90's while at the same time having their really own unique touch. Graves of the Archangels sounds not like a Incantation or Immolation clone. No it stands on its own in fact it stands on a pillar of comparable height as the best of both aforementioned bands. I'm calling it. This is the best NYDM album in years and it is in fact my favorite album of the currently ongoing retro-death metal movement. It's hard to point out specific highlights because everything is of such high average quality. However there are a few moments which give me chills. The intro of Graves of the Archangels with the chanting which just create an awesome atmosphere and the entirety of Teeth into Red and Martyrdoom. Vanishing Faith is also great and and... Fuck it. There are no highlights on this album. This album is like the sun. Even the dark spots will blind you.

In short: A must have, a must buy, a must own. I don't think there are much more enjoyable things you can do with the couple of bucks this album costs. This album indeed might be the alpha and the omega of the retro-death movement but I won't feel sad if it is. This is a modern classic period. Now hopefully they will start touring more soon. If they do start touring, you can find me right in front of the stage headbanging my neck into a whiplash.

Well, I just registered and I thought that the first thing I should do is write a review about this album. There is something special about Graves of the Archangels. When I'm not listening to it, this album seems like a simply good work. When I press play on my CD player, I feel like the whole world stops spinning to listen to Martyrdoom, which is one of the best introductions an album could ever had.

Orthodox prayers apart, this album is a milestone. Drummer Vaggelis of Inveracity does a great work on this one, with mind blowing blastbeats and some wicked fillers just before them. The blasts near the end of last song "Teeth Into Red" sound like the heartbeat one has when he knows that in five seconds he'll be shot in the head, I suppose.

Lead guitar is almost absent, and when it's not, it reminds me of Byzantine scales repeated over and over again, being there just to show you the real unholiness of Christianity.

The riffs are the highlight of the album. Just listen to Graves of the Archangels, at 1:52. These guys nail it, and many "fallen angels" of the death metal genre should study this epic riffage. Listening to this album makes me think that the earth is going to crack open and the Beast of Revelations will rise to the surface. Truly splendid work, in fact, it may sound like some kind of blasphemy, but I like the riffs on this one better than many classics of the genre, such as Blessed Are The Sick, Mental Funeral, Effigy of The Forgotten or Cause Of Death.

All in all, if you like bone-crushing death metal and you don't have this album, get it. I would normally give it a 100%, but the fact that there is still no follow up makes me hate those guys (whatever, I just praised them as though they were gods). Check them now!

My first review...and what better album to start than Graves of the Archangels? This album has made quite a mark in the death metal underground. I could start spouting terms such as "the new wave of old school" or early NYDM tribute/revival or whatever, but to be quite honest whether these frequently used terms fit Dead Congregation or not, this is an absolute top quality death metal release that could easily sit comfortably in any DM fans possession. I wouldn't call myself an elder on all things death metal, especially when it comes to the older stuff. Not to say that I don't enjoy the likes of Autopsy, Asphyx, Immolation and Incantation et al. but in all honesty this album is possibly the best DM album I have ever heard to date. I shit you not!

The opening track to GotA, "Martyrdoom", is a drawn out yet brilliantly crafted intro track.I don't think I've ever heard a better intro to an album! The creepy screeching and wailing of the guitars sailing on the back of thunderous drum rolls immediately conjures up a foreboding atmosphere, slowly building up to the face crusher that is the next track "Hostis Humani Generis". One of the first things that become apparent as the track goes on is the production. Holy fuck. The guitars shine through here, completely clear without sounding too overproduced or clinical. The tone just sounds earthy and heavy as fuck, with a huge fullness to it. The drum sound is also quite overpowering, but not in an over the top Nile-y kind of way. The drums sound very natural (bar the triggered double bass), especially the toms which actually sound like fucking war drums with their very deep booming sound. But anyway, I feel I am harping on about the production too much, its just a fucking great clear and definted death metal production.

The musicianship on this album isn't overly techincal. In my mind this is a good thing. It solely soars on the back of its riffs and structures. Jesus fucking Christ the riffs. Seriously, they're so fucking good. They all absolutely reek of a dirty morbid dungeon. The double bass infused tremolo riffing is tastefully placed without over-repitition, the almost evil chord progressions especially evoking a feeling of dread creeping under your skin. Self titled track "Graves of the Archangels" is a perfect shining example of this. The drumming, like the guitars, also aren't overly technical either. Thats not to say that it isn't fast. It is. There is more than enough double bass and blasting on this album to keep one satisfied. It seems however that the drums on this album aren't meant to impress or dazzle or anything, they just punish. They fucking punish you, allying with the guitars to hammer you with the huge sound of this album. I still found some of the beats fairly catchy though. I don't have much to say about the vocals, you could come up to me and tell me that they're boring and repititive. I wouldn't disagree but I would tell you to fuck off. This is death metal we're talking about here, the vocals on this album are atonal and monstrous sounding. A very deep grunt with alot of power.

There's really no point in going into a song by song analysis for this, I can only speak for this album as a whole as there are no weak points. It is a large melting pot of excellent heavy riffage, evil wailing guitars and guitar solos, hard hitting modern drumming and even some monk like mournful chanting thrown in. All this together summons forth the monstrous and absolutely morbid atmosphere that I love this album for. Graves of the Archangels is an evil creature who has arisen from the tombs and is an essential listen to any who like their death evil and occult sounding.

This is Dead Congregation, they're not trying the push the envelope of the genre, nor are they trying to sound ultra brootal or ultra troo. They are just taking death metal as we love it, and injecting it with their own atmosphere, feeling and passion. And what fucking passion they have. Feast this album upon your ears, you will not be disappointed.

I know that people find this kind of stuff interesting, and why releases such as this become popular, because there really is something here for most people. It’s got enough of an old school feel to keep the fans of the ‘true’ underground satisfied, there’s a nice chunk of NYDM influence here to help the album sound modern and relevant, complemented with plenty of atonal non repetitive riffs to appear to be sufficiently forward thinking for the progressive fan. Unfortunately for me, try as I might, this album doesn’t really do it for me. The harmonic awkwardness of bands like Portal only really serves to annoy me, and there is a very similar vibe on ‘Graves of the Archangels’ which, to my growing chagrin, manages to distract me from what I really wanted to hear – some dark, old school NYDM.

I can hear the sounds of New York somewhere in the dirge. When the weird, spacey song writing takes a back seat and allows the punchier riffs to come seeping through then this is a more than listenable album. ‘Voices’ and ‘Vanishing Faith’ are fantastic testimony to the legacy of the genres big hitters, and the album starts to pick up serious momentum. But when it gets laced with the grating atonal harmonizing its impact is really muted, and once these sections are well under way, the songs seems to take a while before things change direction, if indeed at all, usually they just meander aimlessly through a never-ending labyrinth of odd chords until it all simply drifts off into an indifferent and abrupt silence.

Of course, it could be that this is exactly the point; the shape-shifting atonal stuff is actually a CONSTANT change in direction, in which case ‘Graves of the Archangels’ is far, far too ambitious for its own good and the band need to rein their vision in for their next record, because at the moment the ‘direction’ is going round and round in circles chasing the same idea. I don’t really believe that this is the case, because patterns do emerge in the music, but in the same way that the finest English oak looks shit when coated in a crappy varnish, the better music on display struggles to breathe under the weight of those oppressive, sludgy harmonies.

However, while I might not get on with this album, many of you might well do. The individual performances aren’t particularly mind blowing, but the stylistic choice of ‘Graves of the Archangels’ has clearly excited the underground scene somewhat, and there is no reason why you shouldn’t give this at least a brief once over, just to make sure that you manage to catch something that I am clearly missing.

It is the year 2008, and, following its heyday in the early ‘90s, death metal has become quite stagnant over the last ten years. A few bands including Immolation and The Chasm have remained consistent through the late ‘90s and into this decade, and a handful of newer bands such as Funebrarum, Arghoslent, or Slugathor have arisen in attempts to revive old school death metal; however, the scene remains but a shadow of its old form. Thankfully, an exception to this standard now exists with the release of Dead Congregation’s Graves of the Archangels, an album that effectively recalls the listener to the glory days of occult death metal.

Graves of the Archangels is primarily influenced by the early works of NYDM legends Incantation and Immolation, with downtuned riffs and pinch harmonics in the vein of Immolation’s Dawn of Possession and doomy breaks and low guttural vocals reminiscent of Incantation’s Onward to Golgotha or Mortal Throne of Nazarene. For instance, the final minute of “Vanishing Faith” bears similarities to Immolation tracks such as “Into Everlasting Fire” while the interlude of “Source of Fire” may remind listeners of the similarly doomy section of Incantation’s “Christening the Afterbirth.”

Despite these obvious influences, Dead Congregation’s music is not entirely devoid of originality. Firstly, this album is more varied as a whole than its primary influences; where the early doom-influenced death metal bands including Autopsy and Asphyx as well as Incantation and Immolation all delivered brutal chunks of death metal in the form of ten or eleven consecutive 3-5 minute songs, Dead Congregation offers a more uniquely structured debut. The album deviates from standard extreme metal by the inclusion of an opening instrumental, two lengthy tracks, and even an abnormally brief track.

The album begins with the five minute instrumental “Martyrdoom” that contains three separate movements in which the lead guitar slowly builds on the dissonant and foreboding rhythm track with eerie leads until the track culminates in an ominous chant over noisy guitar feedback. This chant foreshadows the upcoming aural assault as four traditional fast-to-mid-paced death metal tracks immediately follow. After these four tracks, the album may seem to be a mere mimicry of Incantation and Immolation blended together aside from the unique “Martyrdoom”; however, the title track enters next to highlight Dead Congregation’s creativity and songwriting ability. Clocking in at eight minutes, the track begins with another foreboding chant before plunging into several minutes of non-repetitive and flowing death/doom. Following this track is the brief one-minute onslaught entitled “Subjugation”, an entirely fast-paced piece contrasted with the monolithic title track. Finally, following “Source of Fire”, the lengthy outro “Teeth Into Red” wraps up the album with another helping of pure death metal followed by a repetitive tremolo-picked riff that showcases the band’s black metal influences as well as death metal influences.

In addition to its musical merits, Graves of the Archangels also has essentially flawless production. The guitar tone is more thick and lively than that of early Incantation releases while not being as suffocating and dense as later Immolation or Ignivomous. The vocals are morbid and near indiscernible as death vox should be, without being overly guttural as is the case with brutal death metal. The drumming is neither too loud nor too quiet.

In summary, while Dead Congregation brings nothing groundbreaking to the table but another take on the styles of doomy death metal legends, their execution is simply perfect, to the extent that, if one were to disregard historical relevance and examine only pure musical quality, Graves of the Archangels would easily rank amongst the best of the classics.

This is an album that is sure to stand against the test of time. Just listen to the opening track Martyrdoom, which is an instrumental track of gigantic proportions. From the very first riff there’s a haunting aura present, and as the drumming sets in it’s like a cry from the abyss. It is so absolutely haunting and powerful I can almost imagine the dead rising from their tombs, as Dead Congregation stands in the middle of the graveyard commanding the undead forces forward. It might just sound like a bad horror flick, but I’m not kidding when I say this is haunting.

Afterwards the blasphemous blasting sets in, and the tunes take a turn towards brutal. The deep and guttural growls are absolutely enforcing and sounds like the biggest and most bad-ass demon you’ll find in hell. Although similar vocals can be found elsewhere as well, Anastasis (or A.V. as he calls himself here) delivers perfectly. The drumming also seems done to perfection, as the encompassing blasting slows down right at the correct moment, allowing a much more doom-ridden atmosphere to take place. This, before the brutality sets in once again, with some of the greatest drumming to be found on a death metal album. Riffing-wise they leave nothing left to wish for, as they’ve incorporated the absolutely murderous old school feel of Finland and Sweden, into the American style of old school. As it can contain melody, it’s never without brutality, with tons of nuances. Oh-so-awesome riffing. It’s almost like they wrote the book.

Atmospheric, majestic old school death metal reeking of doom, oozing of black. But do not be fooled, this is without a doubt death metal, slickly flavoured with its comrades of metal. The sound is heavy, brutal and really reeks of the recently deceased. The production has the perfect amount of roughness while still remaining clarity. And if you like your death metal dark and satanic (in a really sinister manner) this album is for you. It’d be worth the money just for one track alone, and I could keep on writing about the intriguing drum patters, the marvelous riffing or the disturbing growls on and on, ‘cause there’s not a single thing to complain about. But I’ll quite before I’m out of synonyms for kick-arse.

Originally written for http://www.mylastchapter.net

Deriving a massive and undeniable influence from Incantation's classic 'Onward to Golgotha', Purifying Consecrated Ground, released in 2005, was a short EP, which I described elsewhere as sounding like the band was possessed by the devil during its recording. The EP however, did have its limitations. As good as it was, it wasn't much more than a nicer-produced early Incantation EP. Graves of the Archangels, while still worshipping early Incantation, adds a bit more uniqueness to Dead Congregation's sound, and is a real improvement on what was already a great EP in Purifying Consecrated Ground. The majestic introduction, Martyrdoom, resonates evilness and is an ominous pre-cursor for what is to come.

Aside from Incantation, we can see a bit of Morbid Angel in here as well as some doom and black metal influence, although you'd stop short of calling it Death/Doom or Blackened Death. It's chaotic and heavy, an apocalyptic atmosphere dominating the music throughout. Thankfully there is minimal use of blast-beats and the music slows down and speeds up at exactly the right places. Dead Congregation avoid the trap of guitar wankery that many death metal bands these days fall into and combine simplistic riffs with dissonant, tremolo picked melodies, the melodies showing just about the strongest black metal influence.

The vocals have not evolved since Purifying Consecrated Ground and they haven't needed to. They're still guttural growls and while they aren't much more than standard, anything else would seem out of place with the music. Satanism is still the main lyrical theme, along the lines of Incantation, Imprecation and Blaspherion and avoiding the kind of gimmicks that Deicide have popularised.

I'm yet to hear a better album from 2008 than Graves of the Archangels. It brings together all the great things about death metal: heaviness, brutality, atmosphere, riffage and avoids all the bad things: guitar wankery, gimmicks, and trying to be too fast. I can't imagine where Dead Congregation will go from here, although it seems they'll be forced to stray from their still-obvious Incantation worship, which could be a good thing and could be a bad thing. If Satanic death metal is your thing, and I don't mean 'I rape angels and burnt an upside-down cross into my forehead' Satanic death metal, Dead Congregation is for you. If you prefer to hear some weird time signature that changes every bar for the sake of it while the guitarist melts his fingers on the fretboard, you probably won't like Dead Congregation. If I lost this CD, I'd definitely buy it again. If it got re-released next week with one 30-second bonus track, I'd probably buy it again.

I first heard about this band as being “sort of like Immolation but better.” That description immediately caught my interest and I had to listen to this album. The band comes from Greece and plays a particularly vicious brand of death metal. Starting out in 2004 and with an EP in 2005, Dead Congregation is one of the new breed of old school death metal bands.


The album starts with the moody Martyrdoom that reminded me of Arkhon Infaustus’s dirty black- death approach at least as far the atmosphere was concerned. From there though, the album just slays with Hostis Humani Generis and Morbid Paroxysm. Both songs just burst out of the speakers and it’s an all out attack. In fact it isn’t till you’re half way through Vanishing Faith (song number five) that there’s a let up in pace. A slowed down doom section gives a much needed break from the pummeling while also superbly enhancing the power of the music. Voices slowly gains momentum till it’s another crushing song that’s equal parts immolation and Deicide while the slowed down doomy parts are all Dead Congregation. This is my favourite song on the album and achieves the balance between slow crushing heaviness and face ripping death metal insanity perfectly.

Like I’ve all ready mentioned, it’s the slower sections that really stand out for me. It has a Celtic Frost channeled through Winter sound that just enhances the power of the all out death metal attack of the band. The band sounds a bit like immolation and Deicide going at it in a boxing ring while there are parts that remind me of Celtic Frost and Arkhon Infaustus in terms of atmosphere and feel if not in the actual music.

Title song Graves of the Archangels is placed in the middle of the album and the band seem to going for an epic death metal feel. It works for the most part but I felt at over eight minutes, the song could have done with some editing. Also, there’s a guitar part on this song that’s a bit too close to Immolation. Source of Fire is another super aggressive song and seems to merge almost seamlessly with album closer Teeth into Red which at over nine minutes is a bit of a chore to sit through till the fade out happens and the death metal is replaced by some sort of chanting which I’m guessing is some ethnic Greek thing that’s pretty interesting.

Graves of the Archangels is a pretty good debut and shows that Dead Congregation has a lot of potential. At this time they seem a bit too close to their influences to actually elevate this album into the rarified atmosphere of your top tier death metal bands. Still, the band is on the right track and definitely one to keep an eye on.

Originally written for http://www.kvltsite.com

On the path to hell, the path is gloomy, dark, and with monstrous smells. The path continues as a spiral staircase, and as you continue down you see the morbid, grotesque beasts that will become your friends. The hell is cold and damp, and which the combination brings out fear, hatred, and insanity; all of this comforts you. You’re finally home. This is Graves of the Archangels.

The album sets a demonic atmosphere that is evil, yet at the same time pleasing. The band starts off with a dark intro track, which switches from dissonant riffing to slow chords, with a constant circular riff over top. The track gives the listener a feel of awe, then right as the track fades away; the onslaught of riffs is up for the next 38 minutes. Graves of the Archangels is a demented album filled with the complex riffs that play off of each other, and switch from sweeping tremolo picked riffs to morbid awkward riffs. The band’s song writing is definitely brilliant because they are able to put a constant theme in most of their songs, while not needing to come back to riffs; however, the longer epic tracks become a bite more circular causing the atmosphere and the brilliance of their songwriting to come out. The vocals seem way back in the mix, kind of like he’s in hell yelling at you to come join him. Old school riffing with a more modern approach to song writing fits perfectly in this album; there are a lot blastbeats in this album, but the production is done so great that it lets the riffs come out which makes the riffs choppy. Throughout the album there is operatic chanting that makes the atmosphere that more intense, almost like the your trip to hell is for religious reasons.

This album’s atmosphere, writing, and production are just stunning. This album and Deathevokation are how new death metal should be made!

Holy fucking shit! This release totally blew me away. I had no idea that this type of thing was even possible, since I have never seen it done. It seems that this Greek band found a way to mix the old with the new and still retain their own sound, putting their own twist on the old music, as it were, with modern technical elements as well. Generally when people play old school death metal, they either re-hash old stuff, or just continue the old stuff well, like Throneum and others, while still some less fortunate try to mix it with things other than itself and fail miserably.

This band does neither. They take the old school death-doom metal in the vein of Winter and play it with a guitar sound that you can only hear on bands like Immolation, Incantation, and other heavy death bands, and add their own style of riffage, which will appear on later reviews as ‘Dead Congregation type riffs’, I am sure. Their guitar sound is like the other bands I have mentioned, except really dissonant. Their dissonance is what really defines them, for many people have played the murky, doom laden death metal before as well. But they do not copy or clone, they reinvent, and do it in a way that is a compliment to these bands, and not a worshipping of them. The entire band is really satanic as well; the inlay is full of bizarre imagery of churches and hollows, the CD is full of mezarabic mass chanting and Gregorian hymns, the lyrics are about the war in heaven, and about bestial stuff.

And then there are the drums. To top off their incredibly heavy and awesome riffs coupled with their uniqueness and originality, they have the drummer from Inveracity, a new school brutal death metal band. So we have expert precision drumming on this one with massive blast beats for minutes at a time, incredible double bass work, and drumming that is almost twice as fast as on your average old school death album. But he keeps it relatively simple and enjoyable in this one, it is old school after all. Just perfect, this is the type of drummer we can all be proud of, who can play hyper blast and tech stuff, but knows when to and when not too, all the while being able to keep everything as metal as he does. Incredible guy, I hope both of his bands will continue to prowl the metal scene, and I wish them luck. To round this off, these guys fucking rule, go get this. If you like death metal, you will like this, no matter what kind of death metal you like. Everyone from the doom fanatic to the grind freak to the slam kids and old school hell bangers can all get into this one. It has everything on it that makes death metal good.

After hearing Dead Congregation's crushing debut EP entitled "Purifying Consecrated Ground", I knew this band was something to keep a close eye on. 3 years later, the band releases their debut LP. "Graves of the Archangels" is a modern death metal album that stays ahead of the pack, and will certainly change the way a lot of bands approach death metal today.

What makes this album so great? There are quite a lot of factors, but what it boils down to is twisted riffs, logical yet intelligent arrangements, all put together with tight musicianship and appropriate production.

The album kicks off with a really long intro which contains lots of odd guitar harmonies ala Immolation. After this song teases the listener, the second track rolls in and completely pummels eardrums. Riffs twist around in a well though out fashion against solid blast beats. The vocals are low and guttural, which is exactly what this kind of death metal needs. They aren't overpowering, but they are certainly appropriate. Many of the riffs on this album are taken from the school of Immolation and old NYDM. Whilst listening to it with some fellow goats, we spotted riffs that would belong on old Incantation material without a problem. Being fans of old death metal, this is highly appreciated.

Listening to the arrangements here, it's obvious these guys put a lot of thought. Nothing seems out of place, everything seems very logical and flows well. The title track is a great example of this. The song goes from some blasting part into a total Immolation melody, but the way it flows in is so smooth, it's just unbelievable. The drummer is certainly competent in these arrangements, as he sets his beats up in such a way that there are no awkward changes where momentum is lost. Momentum is conserved throughout the songs in some way or another, creating very tightly knit songs.

As mentioned, the musicianship here is just top notch. It's obvious from the aforementioned arrangements, but more apparently in just the overall presentation of the album. There is not a single missed beat here, but it still sounds human. There is a lot of feel in all these riffs, and each musician plays with intensity. No wonder it took about 3 years for this to come out, it's just played fucking well.

The production here is something that modern death metal bands should try to aspire too (like everything else on this album). The drums aren't triggered. The guitars have a tone that's not overkill, giving the riffs clarity. The bass is audible and fills out the space between the drums and guitar extremely well. The vocals are in a nice spot in the mix, not being over the top, being a bit buried but exposed enough in a happy-medium sense.

Everything about this album is just really well done and I applaud Dead Congregation for not only writing an original album, but for really showing all these fucking lame, triggered, and uninspired death metal bands how death metal should sound. Even lyrically the band is strong, with lyrics about decay, destruction and blasphemy, but done tastefully. All I can say is get this album. These guys, along with bands like Necros Christos are changing modern death metal for the better, and you don't want to miss out on this.