Gravemind "The Hateful One"

When comparing brutal death metal to other competitors there's a few things to consider. First, is the quality of the production comparable to the heavyweights? Second, is there a ruthless, unrelenting anthem? Finally, does it have the same intensity as the lower level competition? In Gravemind's case they hold true to all three qualifiers, and find themselves in a territory far removed from the bottom feeders. The Hateful One is a release that I could only best compare to Thy Art's extra special Holy War, which saw massive acclaim and charted the band to new heights unaccomplished by prior releases. Gravemind's ability to approach this level with their independent release speaks volumes to their potential.

     It's obvious Gravemind is doing everything it can to contain themselves. With highly creative riffage and intriguing segue ways between transitions, the band explores technical death all too often and managed to keep the extraneous noodling to a minimum. The songwriting is supreme here and that's all that's really necessary when trying to make a name for yourself in a highly muddled scene. Album opener "Scriptures Of Torment" is insanely captivating, with "The Glass Purge" taking everything in its path straight to hell.

     At only five tracks with two containing guest appearances (lo and behold, CJ is on a track!), it's hard to toss this EP into the AOTY category straight out the gate. It also may be it being so close to the New Years lists that are still being compiled a few weeks too late. But if this band can keep amongst their Australian brethren, there is a strong likelihood they can surpass Thy Art and stall Aversion's Crown with their senseless twenty-four string assault.