GRAVESEND
GRAVESEND "Gowanus Death Stomp"
By Dr. Abner Mality
I don't think you'll find GRAVESEND listed as partners of the New York City Tourism Board anytime too soon. According to the vision so starkly presented on their albums, even Hell...or maybe New Jersey...wouldn't be as filthy and horrid as the Big Apple. This is the soundtrack to an urban nightmare, delivered with the care and thought of a bunker buster bomb.
GRAVESEND were already mean and misanthropic on their last record "Methods of Human Disposal". With "Gowanus Death Stomp", they've upped the misanthropy in every way possible. This record is faster, uglier, longer and more crushing. The band combines sludgy grindcore, rhino-force hardcore and the insanity of war metal into something they think reflects the very worst of New York. It's like PHOBIA, WEEKEND NACHOS, BLACK WITCHERY and ROTTEN SOUND decided to jam together.
Many tracks here have the wide open blast of war metal, but when the band hits the brakes and goes into a slower pounding crush, it hits you like a Mack truck and breaks just as many bones. I feel GRAVESEND is at their best (or worst...semantics!) when they let that riffier groove take over, like on the title track, "When the Worm Turns" and "Streets of Destitution". As for vocalist "A", he sounds like murder given voice. The hatred rolls off this like the stench from a garbage pile.
You definitely should know what you're in for now!