Graveyard – Lights Out
Release Date: November 6, 2012
A new Graveyard album in 2012 was like getting an early Christmas present. When the band announced that they were releasing Lights Out in November, I was a bit nervous. After hearing them in 2011 for the first time, Graveyard quickly became one of my favorite bands. The band released a stellar self titled debut album and then Hisngen Blues followed putting them on the map and earning them much deserved success. While I was so happy for the band, I was a bit nervous about how this would affect their follow up album. Would this level of success steer the band in a different direction and find the band compromising what they were about?
I took a deep breath, crossed my fingers, and clicked the play button. As “An Industry of Murder” filled the room, I immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Not only was this the Graveyard that I love so much but it sounded like a refined and even more matured sound. “Slow Motion Countdown” has the band dipping into that somber groove and showcasing the smoky, bluesy rasp of singer/guitarist Joakim Nilsson. That same somber, haunting vibe is found in the song “Hard Times Lovin’” which has this dark, brooding Neko Case meets Black Sabbath kind of vibe. I love it that Graveyard is not afraid to mellow out and explore this side of music as they do it really well. Graveyard also showcases a more punchy, intense vibe on heavier songs like “The Suits, The Law, and the Uniform”, “Goliath”, and “Endless Night.” These heavier songs also seem to embody a soul and emotion that some of the heavier songs on past albums just didn’t have. This isn’t a knock on those songs. It’s just that these songs seem to have a level of intensity and dynamics that make Graveyard sound more seasoned and comfortable in their skin.
Lights Out is without a doubt Graveyard’s finest piece of work. It sounds like a really thought out album but not so thought out that it sounds contrived. It’s the sound of a band that has paid attention to what they have done and strive to build upon it as opposed to stay comfortable with a monotonous formula. Lights Out is the sound of a band that has seen the world, experienced new things and lived to tell about it. If this is any indication as to where Graveyard is heading, we can rest assured that they will continue to grow as artists and put out some amazing music for many years to come. Lights Out is an album that 20 years from now young people will discover and consider it a piece of classic rock greatness.
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