When I reviewed the last album from this act in 2009, they were signed to My Kingdom Music and at the time I considered them to be one of the labels more promising acts and stated that 3 or 4 albums down the line they may produce something really spectacular. Therefore, it was a pleasant surprise when this dropped through my letterbox and was intrigued to see how Liquid Graveyard had progressed since On Evil Days. The band is the brainchild of ex-Cancer frontman John Walker and has a real stamp of quality to it that certainly appears to have developed nicely in the past couple of years.
The album batters in with the mighty riffage of ‘I Colossus’ which definitely leans into melodic death metal territory. It has a nice groove to it and a hint of progression in its structure. The vocals here are harsh and deathly, which kind of makes the wistful and dreamy vocals on ‘Violent Skies’ seem to come out of nowhere. I previously commented on what a good range Raquel Walker had on the last offering, however here she has really come into her own having toned down the classical stylings for a vocal that sounds much more natural. While I can appreciate a good soprano, there are too many wannabes out there who sound too much alike and her vocals here sound distinctive and really rather gorgeous. This is contrasted by the thrashing mania of ‘Attractor’ which has some heavy chugging riffs and allows Raquel to show off her death-growl which is equally as impressive as her more saccharine tones.
There is something really alluring about ‘Reflections’ with its steady melody and powerful chorus; it all flows rather effortlessly and has rather a lackadaisical sense of tranquillity that is totally unhurried and floats around with its head in the clouds. There’s kind of a pattern on the album that mixes up the mellow with the heavy. Title track, ‘The Fifth Time I Died’ plays out with more vigour and shows progressiveness in the arrangements as melodies shift and change quite rapidly. The atmosphere intensifies on ‘Expendable’ which has quite a slow, crawling melody and more of a thick doominess in the riffs. I like the vocals waah’s on this one that are mixed in with the more intense growls creating a sense of wonder. The musicianship on this album is definitely a couple of steps up from the last one and sounds a lot more professional, although it seems to get stronger as the album goes along. Some of the songs are very well crafted and full of intrigue, although the vocals of Raquel Walker are definitely the star attraction to behold and what manages to keep my interest all the way through, despite the earlier tracks being musically nothing special. ‘The Glorious Bitter Seeds’ has more depth to the music and has a lot more atmosphere, and ‘Beholder’ is particularly appealing with its moodiness and mellowness; there is an Opeth-esque warmth to this one, and the gossamer vocals just top things off beautifully.
Overall this is a good album with some great tracks and an excellent vocalist. I’m still not sure they are at their peak yet but that will no doubt come in time.
http://www.myspace.com/liquidgraveyard
Luci Herbert
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