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Track Listing: Ain't Fit To Live Here No Good, Mr. Holden Hisingen Blues Uncomfortably Numb Buying Truth (tack och forlat) Longing Ungrateful Are The Dead RSS The Siren

Swedish psychedelic rock quartet are ready to unleash their second full-length studio release, their first on the Nuclear Blast label. Their self-titled debut album presented a very interesting style of music, something I would describe as Clutch meets Led Zeppelin with a touch of The Doors and Pink Floyd. With such an eclectic list of influences, the band certainly would have had the creative freedom to take this sophomore album to whatever direction they pleased, and the result isn't disappointing in the least bit.

"Ain't Fit To Live Here" is a bluesy tune with a distinctly rough edge to its sound, a greatly entertaining start to the album and definitely one that would catch the listener's attention. "No Good, Mr. Holden" is a slower, more somber but equally enjoyable tune. The amazing talent this band possesses on vocals is already evident as this track incorporates a combination of Plant-like high pitched segments and those of lower register. The title track comes next, a more guitar driven track as compared to most others on the album which is an aspect no one should be complaining about.

"Uncomfortably Numb" is most definitely my favorite track on this album. The main guitar riff is a pure delight to the grateful ears while the bass and vocals make it a truly powerful tune. This one has 'classic' written all over it and will be in heavy rotation, at least on my music player devices. "Buying Truth" on the other hand is quite a contrast, a rough, bass-heavy tune that's more along the lines of the album opener. It's a track that ensures the continuation of the roller coaster of a journey this album takes the listener through. "Longing" is another delightfully slow song, perhaps the most atmospheric tune on the entire album, creating the image of a Spaghetti Western classic in my mind. I'm amazed by how powerful music can get sometimes, and this is living proof of exactly that.

Those spellbinding 5 minutes give way to "Ungrateful Are The Dead", a heavy blues-based tune that reminds me of Led Zeppelin's "Dazed And Confused" in many ways. "RSS" is more upbeat in its demeanor and in fact turns out to be the most easy-going track on the album, a track that would be best enjoyed while driving somewhere on a highway. "The Siren" boasts of 6 minutes of everything that's good about blues rock, and brings the album to a mesmerizing end, leaving the listener with no choice but to go back to track number 1 and press 'play' all over again.

I'm a sucker for blues rock, and not without reason. For me these are the real roots of heavy metal as we know it today, and it's refreshing to be blessed with the presence of a band like Graveyard, a group of high-class musicians who are undoubtedly doing the genre complete justice. The interesting difference from the debut is that while certain tunes sound notably rougher and more raw, there are others that are purely psychedelic in effect. So overall, I'd say this album presents greater diversity within the 40 minutes of it's duration, and one that does the bastion of album-oriented rock no harm at all. I find absolutely nothing wrong or bad about this album. If you don't end up becoming a Graveyard fan after listening to this album, I'm afraid you are seriously missing something.

An incredibly mesmerizing, otherworldly piece of genius.