They'll Dig You Up

Graveyard first played in South Florida a few months ago, opening for Clutch and the Sword at Culture Room. A quick scan of the crowd showed I wasn't the only one floored by these Swedes' straight-up vintage-sounding, heavy-psych onslaught. Well, maybe that crushing feeling was partly a result of the crazy Orange stacks the band was borrowing from the Sword, but still.

While this foursome hails from Gothenburg, their sound has zilch to do with the so-called "Gothenburg sound" of bands such as In Flames, or with their country's extreme metal scene. Sure, Graveyard is heavy, but they dial back a few decades to heavy music's earliest days, when it was still largely bluesy rock 'n' roll.

Throw one of their songs on a mix among tracks by classic acts such as Iron Butterfly, Deep Purple, and maybe even early Sabbath, and a casual listener would mistake it for some lost nugget of the period. That's a high compliment, really. Much heavy music these days lacks a certain soul, and Graveyard has brought that back through an obviously heartfelt, really Scandinavian dedication to its craft.

The self-titled disc is out now on the Queens-based label Tee Pee Records, home to all kinds of awesome psychedelic, sludgy mush from bands such as Brian Jonestown Massacre, High on Fire, and Sleep.
Tue., July 28, 2009