GRAVELAND – carpathian wolves – rehearsal 1993 – TAPE

Black Metal – A Fine Day To Die Records

Recorded in 1993.
Tracks 3 and 4 are previously unreleased.
Bonus tracks from “Impaler’s Wolves EP”.
Limited to 100 hand-numbered copies.

This is the best of the early-era Graveland material for overall songwriting, atmosphere and the quality of musicianship. The intro is also one of the best, Darken is known for creating some of the coldest and most hateful keyboards passages in the black metal genre, and this is a prime example. The second track, Barbarism Returns, is a classic and my personal favorite. The keyboard breakdown ins simply jaw dropping in its epic majesty. Graveland can conjure the most intense atmospheres I have ever heard. In the Noerthern Carpathians is another classic track that applies some ice cold rythym guitar parts that Graveland were known for back in this era.
Overall , the production leaves alot to be desired, but the music more then makes up for this. The guitars are extremely raw and primal, using very abstract scale work to create a more eastern european flavor. The drums are done by the infamous Capricornus, and his style is all his own, uaing very bombastic and free form drumming that feel much like some form of pagan war drumming. The rawness and spontenaity of the drums creates a very war-like and chaotic feel that helped carve out the Graveland sound. The keyboards are perhaps the highlight, and Darkens best instrument ability-wise. I have never heard keyboards so raw and evil is his, they create a feeling of complete hatred for the christian race that is mesmerizing. Darkens vocals are easily some if the sickest in all of black metal. he sounds like a dying corpse, rasping out his last breath in the name of hate and war, and they add the perfect touch to the already grim sound.
I highly recommend this album to all fans of true extreme old-school black metal. This is some of the best polish black metal out there, and a must have for all Graveland fans.