Underneath the Crescent Moon

Around the time in 1995 most black metal was reaching it's death. The king of black metal, Quorthon had long since quit black metal and worked on some powerful viking metal releases. Mayhem were dead with the end of guitarist and frontman, Euronymous after being stabbed 20+ times, Darkthrone were becoming quite repetitive and tedious with their releases post this time era. Most bands followed the melodic and symphonic elements of Dimmu Borgir and Emperor for their inspiration including Cradle of Filth, and this lesser known to mainstream pop culture known as Graveworm.

Graveworm do follow the gothic, melodic, and symphonic elements started with the evolution and new direction with Emperor's post Anthems opuses. Bands like Cradle of Filth, and Dimmu Borgir started including gothic elements within their music, and there is no doubt that Graveworm is an exact copy of these two bands. Graveworm have the whole score down. The overdroning keyboards can be heard ringing through entire songs. The vocalist ranges from the typical banshee screams to the lower horribly produced distorted grunting heard by one Dani filth.

The first track on this album, awaiting the shining, shows all of the typical black metal sound that is graveworm. It includes the over use of keyboards with the black metal guitars and droned out blast beats. The range of vocals is well heard on this song, though luckily this band has enough diversity in their musical influence not to continue this formula throughout the entire EP.

Giving a break from the black metal elements, Awake...thy angels of sorrow, is more of a choiristic solo with more atmospheric background elements to give it an epic powerful feel. Despite the fact it could be very well shortened this is a nice change of pace used on this song.

By the grace of god is indeed a powerful charm on this album. It begins with a more melodic and accoustic approach after the intro. Goes into the the typical cradle of filth feel as the song progresses but luckily doesn't stay in the same spot the entire 5 minute song. It quickly going back into a piano solo and gradually returns back to the cradle of filth elements making this band sound just as mediocre, but luckily the band know how to make their sound overall more powerful with the black metal influences and become more diverse instead of staying on the generic path that is cradle of filth.

The final piece on this album, how many tears starts out as a more progressive, atmospheric and emotional piece of the album. Though i am dissapointed as the progression swiftly ends as they return the mediocrity of the cradle of filth and dimmu sound. Luckily the vocal parts on each song are more tolerable though. The bands vocalist really makes the music far better than any cradle of filth or dimmu borgir release ever could be. Though the song reminds me much of a cryptic wintermoon song than a cradle of filth as it continues. It's clearly an epic release. It could have been shortened though of course. It's a nice piece though nonetheless.

I believe that graveworm have far more potential than the similar band, Cradle of Filth. Luckily though they had taken some of their sound from Cryptic Wintermoon, hence why i tend to enjoy the release a bit more. With the more melodic and symphonic approaches to the black metal sound. Though not pure black metal it helps make the sound more full and rich. Graveworm truely is a powerful unit and this EP clearly defines such a statement.