It’s Monday and Mondays suck, so let’s grind it out with Unholy Grave’s Revoltage.
I was playing Harvester this weekend. It’s a hilariously grotesque point-and-click adventure from 1996 that takes place in the 1950s. It set the mood for the weekend. Old school, brutish, violent, and weird. And what better band to cover those details than Nagoya, Japan’s grind masters Unholy Grave.
Active since 1993, Unholy Grave is kinda like the Japanese Agathocles, in terms of releases, not sound. The band has been non-stop grinding since their inception and have at no point broken up or going on hiatus. Every year they’ve released something, whether it be an EP, split or live album. So where to start? Revoltage is as good a place as any.
There’s something to be said about a band that can consistently sound like they recorded their albums in the same rusty barrel that they started out with in ’93. And I mean that in the best way possible. Unholy Grave have always sounded unhinged and raw. Of course, you wouldn’t get that from the synth/keyboard driven intro. Yeah, you'd almost expect a black metal track to kick in once it wraps up. But no. No, this is Unholy Grave.
Once “Morbid Dark Angels” kicks on, you’re in for a rocky grind. This record is just flesh-tearing raw. Punk-infused, noisy grind at its finest. The track bounces around for a bit and then charges forward, only to bounce some more. It’s on the third track “The Ice-Cold Law” and the following track “Strong Indignation” that the band kicks more into a punk/blasting attitude.
Vocally speaking, Unholy Grave are very standout. Takaho goes between shredding shrieks, growls and even some singing or talking. “Victim’s Grief” actually covers the bases vocally. Hell, as a song, it’s like their jack-of-all-trades. It’s hardcore/punk, it blasts, it has a sung section, an early spoken bit, and screams/growls-a-plenty.
The best thing about this album? How old-school it is. This is simply classic grind, done noisy, done aggressively. “Killing Field. Not TV Game” is a track that stands out in how 90s it feels. “Voice From Inside” might actually be the fastest, most rage-inducing track though. The sheer intensity feels like its boiling over more and more as it blasts on. Hell, there’s even a guitar solo.
If you need an old-school fix from a group that has a PhD in grind, then Unholy Grave is your ticket. Revoltage is only a snippet of their extensive discography but it’s a damn good one. Those that like their grind punk, noisy and blasting, will find thirty-four unforgiving minutes of oozing rage here. Grind on!
Unholy Grave Facebook
