Every time Graveyard releases an album, it’s like Christmas for me. I never know what I’m going to get, but I know it won’t suck. Maybe one will be better than the other. One year, it’ll be the equivalent of getting a rad-ass stereo console, yet another year might be like getting a couple of records to play on said console. While Graveyard will never gift me a pair of lame-ass socks or a sweater, they always keep me guessing and anticipating. As much as I covet those Graveyard albums dearly, their 2012 release Lights Out was the primo gift, but the release of “6” has changed that. Let’s say that if Lights Out was the stereo console for me, 6 is, without a doubt, the new car I always wanted.
In the past, Graveyard’s albums have opened with serious, no fucking around bangers. I pressed play and braced myself but unexpectedly was greeted with the melancholy, somber, floating vibe of “Godnatt.” This is very reminiscent of the older, moody Graveyard that was present on their Hisingen Blues album but much more refined. Just hearing this song is enough to show how much Graveyard has cultivated its sound to create something that bears their own signature.
Just as I was dipping into that spacey, ethereal vibe, “Twice” hit hard and shook me completely out of the vibe. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike this song at all, but the placement of this song jarred me, and by the time I figured out what was happening, the song was over. I think “Twice” is a good tune, but it seems so out of place with the rest of the album. On its own, it sounds great, but as a whole, it just seemed to stick out like a sore thumb.
“I’ll Follow You” is a fantastic groove-oriented rocker that beckons to the Lights Out album, but as with “Godnatt,” it has the band’s sound coming across as much more confident and rooted in their own foundation but in my opinion, it’s “Breathe In, Breath Out” that is the real showstopper here on 6 . “Breathe In, Breathe Out” is where Graveyard encapsulates their influences and creates something that can only be described as the “Graveyard Sound.” Leaning a bit heavier on The Doors influence than other bands, this song had me sinking into my chair and hanging on every melody and lyric from the smokey, whiskey-soaked voice of vocalist/guitarist Joakim Nilsson. I also feel that this is where Graveyard sounds like an entity more than ever before.
6 continues, and song after song, it became clear to me that this is my favorite Graveyard album to date. Everything about this album is what I love about all of the Graveyard albums packaged together into one collection. 6 has Graveyard playing more like a unified entity than ever before. The subtle volume dynamics between drummer Oskar Bergenheim, bassist Truls Morck, and guitarist Jonatan Larocca-Ramm create dramatic tension, bringing about a truly remarkable listening experience.
Graveyard is a band that will never cease to confirm their existence as one of my all-time favorite bands, and 6 has set the bar incredibly high for these guys. 6 is hands down the greatest gift that Graveyard has given me yet, and I will cherish this one forever.
About The Author
