Grave - As Rapture Comes (Century Media Records) - Back
If you like death metal and have been into the genre for any length of time, you must have at least heard of Grave. "As Rapture Comes" is the third album Grave has put out since returning from five years of dormancy. 2002's "Back From the Grave" and the follow up "Fiendish Regression" were both solid releases and undeniably a strong return for a band that had been out of the scene for several years. Having said that, in my opinion those releases were not particularly memorable or interesting. I liked both albums but they simply did not stand out. With "As Rapture Comes" Grave have succeeded in making an album that does their legacy justice.
 
Grave have always played classic Swedish death metal and were among the bands who defined and developed the style in the early 90's. "As Rapture Comes" is exactly what you would expect, old school Swedish death metal, well written, proficiently played and well produced. I am not going to waste time explaining what exactly that style sounds like, if you are reading this I am pretty sure you have an idea. The thing that places this album a notch above the last two is the song writing. The songs are more interesting and varied, making for a more memorable album. The band does an excellent job of blending fast sections and slow pummeling riffs, speeding ahead before dropping the hammer with crushing dirge like grooves. "As Rapture Comes" reminds me of the "Soulless" album but with more speed and less groove. The production on this album is perfect for this style, managing to take all of the elements that were trademarks of the Stockholm sound in the early 90's and give them just a slight twist, adding a modern edge to the sound without sacrificing it’s authenticity.
 
While there are few surprises contained on this disk, fans of straight up death metal will find a lot to like here.. "As Rapture Comes" is Grave’s best work since the "Soulless" album and if you are a long time fan or someone looking to check this band out for the first time, I highly recommend this release.

Rating: 85

Reviewed By: Garett F.