Adorned Graves show their ability to craft great songs in releasing two unique versions of “Second Expulsion”, a lost track from their 2023 album The Earth Hath Opened Her Mouth, both of which are sure to please fans of their blend of doom, death, and thrash metal.
As this review only covers two versions of one song, those interested in the album these songs would have been on can see my review here (https://mauce.nl/adorned-graves-the-earth-hath-opened-her-mouth/). Long story short, the album as it was released earned a 9.5/10 rating and clocked in over 70 minutes in length, which is why one can understand this track may not have made the final cut. For those new to the band, Adorned Graves debut ep in 2015, The Hand of Death, still ranks as one of my favorite surprises and the track “Adorned Graves” is still one of my favorite tracks with its blend of Black Sabbath and Slayer. That tells you a lot about the band’s sound and over the years since then, the band’s releases have included a number of outstanding guest vocalists and increasingly complex arrangements as they seamlessly blend different metal styles.
I’ll cover the “Origination” version first and it is the shorter of the two coming in under 5 minutes long. The track opens with a heavy, pounding riff accented nicely by some powerful drumming. Growled, deep vocals accompany a fast, pummeling like marching pace. The song goes quieter briefly while a great bass line takes over alone with the volume and tension building with the song as the rest of the band joins in succession. This version is heavy and fairly straight ahead from an arrangement standpoint.
The other version of the lost track “Caducity” shares very little overall even if it does start out equally ferocious but in this case more of a thrash speed riff. I love the alternating riff and bass section in the opening and the use of silence from the guitars and drums really accentuates the bass guitar nicely. Again, deep growled vocals are the norm as the song moves along at a much faster thrash-like pace in the beginning. Later in the song there are some Anthrax-like riffs, clean vocals and even some clean guitar reminiscent of those in “Sanitarium” (Metallica) as an interlude before it explodes back into what seems to be an even faster pace than the early thrash.
Both tracks showcase excellent production and musicianship of the band and the differences between the tracks highlight their ability to craft great songs. Either of these versions would fit nicely in The Earth Hath Opened Her Mouth. (For those curious, this would have been track number 3)
Rating: 9.5/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist
Second Expulsion – Origination
Second Expulsion – Caducity
Band Members
Cailen Leif Graever: rhythm guitars, vocals, lyrics, design
Deafon Graever: drums, vocals
Lupus Veruta: bass
Andreas Wormser: lead guitars, guitars, production
Release Date: 6 Nov. 2024
Record Label: Independent, 2024
Links
Bandcamp for Second Expulsion – Origination: https://adornedgraves.bandcamp.com/track/second-expulsion-origination-the-lost-track
Bandcamp for Second Expulsion – Caducity: https://adornedgraves.bandcamp.com/track/second-expulsion-caducity-the-lost-track
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdornedGraves
Band site: http://www.adorned-graves.de/