Gravemind – Conduit (Album Review)

Posted on July 16, 2019 by walladmin

Gravemind – Conduit
Released: July 19th, 2019

Line-Up:

Damon Bredin – Writer/Guitar
Dylan Gillies-Parsons – Vocals
Michael Petritsch – Guitar
Aden Young – Guitar
Karl Steller – Drums

2019 UNIFY Gathering alumni Gravemind have had a huge year thus far touring with the likes of Make Them Suffer, Alpha Wolf and Boris The Blade (RIP), as well as being the newest member of the Greyscale Records family. Although these guys seem to have their popularity increasing within the Australian Deathcore/Metalcore scene at a fast rate they still managed to make time to create their debut album Conduit.

The album starts with ‘The Effigy’, which is the shortest song on the album. It starts with a heavy hitting instrumental solo which is incredible to the slightest detail. Vocalist Dylan Gillies-Parsons delivers his hard hitting deep vocals over the top throughout the second half of the song. A great introduction which gives the listener a great taste of what is to come from the following ten songs. ‘Reveal’ is a standout song with the guitar riffs being a strong focal point in this one. One thing that amazes me about Gravemind is their attention to detail and their ability to create a great sound that flows really well as the instrumentals gel together to create their unique sound, this song is no different. Vocalist Dylan shows off his range in this one by switching from his trademark low vocals to a high pitch screaming which works ever so nicely.

‘Volgin’ starts off with the tempo pushed higher and faster. The drums in this piece are mind-blowingly fast, with the guitar riffs building around them. Dylan manages to keep up with the fast pace, seemingly with ease. The song slows down immensely pre-breakdown with lyrics being whispered over the top of the instrumentals, which is something that I find not to be very common within this genre, nevertheless it works so nicely in this piece. With the pace being picked back up post-breakdown to conclude on a heavy note. ‘Vox Populi’ is next up and its intro sounds very similar to the style of old Ocean Grove material before quickly returning to the hard-hitting pace that these guys love playing. Vocalist Dylan Gillies-Parsons seems to just throw out vocals, hitting a range and pace a lot of vocalists would struggle with.

‘Hard Rain’ starts off with a slow and simple guitar riff which gradually builds up until the entire band join in, which creates a slower sound to what this band usually play on. Although not their usual style, the instrumentals compliment each other in a way which creates a smooth and enjoyable listening experience. ‘Phantom Pain’ pushes the album back into top gear with a huge guitar riff introduction. In this piece, there is distinct attention to detail that Gravemind are so good at perfecting, especially with the drumming. The song’s timing, as well as how it was written is world class. ‘Reading;Steiner’ kicks off with a slow yet enticing guitar riff before the other instrumentals join in. The slow tempo is a constant for the first minute or so of the song before the pace is picked up. They seem as if they can do no wrong, whether they are playing on a fast or slow tempo, the sound is always impressive.

‘Zero-Point Energy’, ‘Hollow’ and ‘Embrace’ are arguably the heaviest songs on the album. With vocals so fast and constant it makes you wonder whether Dylan Gillies-Parsons is even breathing. Each instrument praises each other’s sound as they work together to create what this band does best, the heavy sound these guys create may be invariable but never goes stale. With heavy breakdowns throughout these tracks, they are bound to be loved be metalheads alike. ‘The Entropy’, the longest song on the album is a fitting track to close off the album as it has everything from the above-mentioned songs including heavy guitar riffs and drums, hard and fast vocals and also moments of slower softer instrumentals. With a breakdown that hits so hard, it may tempt you to call a tow truck.

Gravemind have produced an incredible debut album, with eleven songs which are second to none. With fans all over the world awaiting its arrival in anticipation, I’m sure it will not be long until these guys become one of Australia’s heavier exports.