Desolator- Gravefeast

Desolator is an old school death metal band from Sweden. They formed in 2009 and since have been crafting their brand of chunky death metal. If someone were to go into this album knowing nothing about the band they would most likely think the demo was released in the early 90's. Prepare yourself for some of the most dense, misanthropic death metal these modern times have to offer.

The demo kicks things off with the title track "Gravefeast". The song is an excellent representation of the bands overall sound and does a great job at foreshadowing what's to come within the next twenty minutes or so. The vocals consist mostly of traditional growls. On "Second Killing Of Christ" we get an awesome chant that features some very low, brutal growls compared to what is heard throughout most of the demo.

The guitar playing on Gravefeast is simple for the most part. That being said we all know technicality doesn't have to be present to make things interesting. These guys incorporate extremely catchy grooves and have many memorable riffs. Tremolo picking is used frequently and booming guitar sections pop up quite often. The amps were clearly set to sickening when this demo was recorded, the tone used on this album really captures that ancient death metal vibe. Certain tracks on the album have a more thrashy sound while tracks like "Antimortem Autopsy" have drawn out sections that slowly creep their way back into the fast pace that dominates this demo.

Desolator does an excellent job getting that retro death metal sound fine-tuned and in doing so they get the optimal result. Though this might not sway those who dislike the genre it will certainly please those who are fans. This band may hone it's style from multiple legendary bands but in the end it's all evil. Gravefeast shows up and crashes the party with it's cataclysmic sound and then leave a heap of rubble in it's path. This release definitely leaves you wanting more. It will be interesting to see what Desolator has in store next. Highly recommended.