Graveyard

Do the four wooly gents above look like gravediggers (or alternately, Gravediggaz)? I would say not. Do they look the kind of dudes who would post-up after hours in a graveyard pounding Schlitz's (or the Swedish equivalents) and making blood oaths? Getting warmer...and just maybe that's how this four-piece from Gothenburg, Sweden got such an austere name. Maybe. But it's a bit more likely they decided to call themselves Graveyard to reflect the dark and menacing vibe of their music.

And as someone who tends to avoid bands and music described as "dark and menacing" in favor of "bright and cheerful", I'm kind of surprised with how much I've been enjoying their self-titled debut LP (out Feb. 19th on Tee Pee Records).

Shockingly, they've been together for a little over a year, having only formed in November of 2006. After recording a 2-song demo, the original quartet - Bikar Edlund (bass), Axel Sjoberg (drums), Joakim Nilsson (guitar/vocals) and Truls Murce (guitar/vocals) - banged out this fantastic full-length with Swedish super-producer Don Ahlstenburg (Soundtrack of our Lives, The International Noise Conspiracy, Jose Gonzalez). Shortly thereafter, Murce was replaced with guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Ramm to flesh out their current lineup. Phew, busy year.

It's hard to believe Graveyard's sound has been forged within such a short gestation period. This is riff rock ladies and gents, thunderous, cavernous RIFFS that get into your skull and make you do that annoying upper-lip curl when listening to it. In this sense, Graveyard's music hearkens back to Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer, yet the most evident influence I hear throughout their music is from a little power-trio called Cream. It's as though Graveyard spent a good 6 of the last 13 months of their existence holed up listening to their dad's copy of Disraeli Gears. I don't mean that as an insult at all. They honestly couldn't find a better source of raw, dark, blues-based riffage to draw inspiration from than the world's first super-group.

The Cream comparison also gains legs when listening to the vocals, which at times are eerily reminiscent of Jack Bruce (as in the case of the track offered below). I'm not sure how the band shares singing duties but if one of the vocalists apes Bruce, the other is clearly Chris Cornell, lending some formidable pipes to muscular tracks like "Submarine Blues" and the awesome "Lost In Confusion". Interestingly, these tracks also boast guitar lines that could have oozed forth from Kim Thayil's fingertips. Point is, if you ever wanted a Soundgarden reunion, a few of these songs are a worthy place to start.

Graveyard succeeds where other riff-based bands run out of gas because of their admirable ability to respect thy riff. Instead of flatly chugging along for nine songs, they expertly contrast their gift for riffs with more open and (dare I say it) laid-back passages, creating a lingering tension and push and pull that's irresistible. So get out your Ouija board and ask it the following: will Graveyard's album rock me in the new year? Wait, you're totally moving it, aren't you? You're not?! Creepy...

Listen: "As The Years Pass By, The Hours Bend"

Visit Graveyard on MySpace.