Even though I try to maintain a broad taste in music, heavy metal always has and always will be my most beloved genre of music.  Some may think that metal is simple, and redundant–but they could not be more wrong, heavy metal is one of the most diverse and complex musical genres in existence, perhaps only second to jazz.  If you are not a fan of heavy metal, or are uninterested in the genre, this is not an album for you.  “Graves of the Archangels” is the full length debut of Greek Death Metal band Dead Congregation and is an excellent, obscene, vicious, and above all relentlessly brutal experience.

Dead Congregation gained notoriety in the metal underground with this release due to its remarkable synthesis of the Death Metal genre’s many various offshoots, and stylistic approaches.  The album opens with Martyrdoom, an extended instrumental track whose presence is reminiscent of the progressive era of Chuck Schuldiner’s seminal band Death; however, the stylistic fusion that Martyrdoom presents goes far beyond its inclusion on the album.  Martyrdoom begins with an eerie, heavily dissonant guitar lead that evokes the New York style of Death Metal, and its plodding melancholic verses introduce a significant Doom Metal influence as well–this intricate piece is only the album’s first song.  Most of “Grave of the Archangels’” remaining tracks follow the typical riff centered structure of Death Metal.  Vanishing Faith is a strong representation of these tracks: it features a dynamic conversation between dissonant guitar leads and crushing minor key riffs, and revolves around one main riff.  This album also features two extended tracks (the title track, and Teeth Into Red) to even further diversify Dead Congregation’s debut.  Both tracks incorporate medieval hymns, achieving a foreboding atmosphere, and prolong their central riffs to further accentuate the atmosphere.

While “Graves of the Archangels” is not a Technical Death Metal album by any stretch of the imagination, it is an impressive display of musicianship nonetheless.  T.K. and Valtsanis offer great performances on guitar by playing their riffs with absolute precision, lending a sense of force to the album.  Valtsanis’ vocal work is also noteworthy–he relies mainly on deep growls, but their placement in the back of the mix is unique, and makes them seem far-off and menacing.  Voyiantzis’ drum work on this album stands as its pinnacle of musicianship, though.  He incorporates both the simplicity of old school death metal, with the frantic approach of modern bands, and switches between what are difficult beats on their own seamlessly.

“Graves of the Archangels” is a definitive statement of the modern Death Metal scene, it incorporates ideas presented in the genre’s classic albums, but develops them even further into something that is wholly its own.  If you are comfortable with the Death Metal’s inherent obscenity, and are interested in the genre this is an amazing album, and is absolutely worth listening to.