GRAVERED hails from the city of Santiago, Chile. If you have been following the underground, it is undeniable that this country has been thriving with a bunch of great new (and old) bands in the last 10 years or so. I would definitely put GRAVERED in that list of amazing new bands. Formed in 2013, they have released a demo tape and three EPs so far. Released by the fine Mexican label Iron, Blood And Death Corporation, “Classic Cult To Death”, is their long due debut album. And all I can say it was worth the wait. Unadulterated, dense, evil and heavy as hell Death Metal is what GRAVERED covers in these seven songs including three short instrumental pieces. First off, the production is similar to “the other” NWOSDM bands such as GRAVE, UNLEASHED and maybe a bit of early HYPOCRISY with their own twist. So, there is no copying here. I think that there is some kind of worship to that era, as the title of the album suggests. The ultra thick guitar tone takes front and center with stellar work. Both guitar players churn out massive palm muted riffs combined with open chords, tremolo picking and some pretty eerie harmonies. The leads are either melodic or frantic, reminiscent of the classic late ’80s South American style. The deep bass sound enhances the wall of distortion that relies on an organic and solid drum sound. Add the deep growls and some high pitched screams and you have a humongous album with an oppressive and murky atmosphere. The mix is a bit muddy but I do think it fits their style perfectly. The master is dynamic with enough variations to intensify the listening experience. “Classic Cult To Death” feels like wandering through a dank and rotten burial ground. There are some hasty outbursts here and there bordering on Thrash Metal beats, but GRAVERED focuses on either slow dragging paces or mid-tempo rhythms. And this makes the album even heavier than it already is. It has a lot of what I call “replay value”, since it ends a lot quicker that you can imagine. In my humble opinion, this is one of the most solid and focused Death Metal albums of this year. It may be a new album, but it could be the best representation of this style of extreme music done in what I call “the old ways”. Go get it now. An absolute must! Support the band at www.facebook.com/gravered.deathmetal and get this album from their label www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563068500501