This is what can happen when you find a stranger in the Alps.

From the picturesque views of Northern Italy comes the purely brutal spectre of ORGANIC with their second full-length album, "Where Graves Abound". Building on the foundation set in their 2018 debut, "Carved In Flesh", the band upends their devout stance on Old School Death Metal (OSDM) and allow themselves to branch out and take a few risks, and the result is as refreshing a blend as any morning coffee.

Make no mistakes, ORGANIC is first and foremost an OSDM outfit, a reminder you get right off the bat on "Ropedragger". However, here the listener is given a sense of something low at work, a new heaviness they didn't have before, even without compromising the intensity. That's when "Waste Monolith" comes on, adding a Hardcore dimension similar to the end of their first album. After that, "Schizophrenic Execution" puts it all together with a wonderful sort of Doom/Sludge sound, trading off between them to complete a powerful opening trio.

The rest of the album follows along one way or another. The 'old school' wanes against a somewhat more modern take on "Caged In A Tomb", but then a track like "Die Schwanzdirn" goes back to a Hardcore-tinged OSDM, a sound so vintage the song ends in ninety-five seconds. Otherwise there's a fine balancing act on songs such as the album's title track and "Fall, Rot", the former of which begins in somber tones but picks up speed to get into the Death/Doom formula.

Towards the album's end, "The Howling" resumes the OSDM sound with a Doomy kicker. Finally on "Knives", the band continues with what has worked so far but experiments with half-step breaks, and those can get a bit overwrought at the best of times. The last minute or so features some heavy feedback, first from a guitar, then from the same choral sound which begins the album, ending with a sudden and jarring cut.

The greatest strength of ORGANIC is that this band feels like a cohesive unit. Whether it's from a lot of practice or if it's just natural, they've got consistency together. Perhaps that's the best word for "Where Graves Abound": Organic. Nothing about this album feels forced to work together, and it isn't trying too hard. It's just a good album, and a damn good album at that.

As for the changes from freshman to sophomore, ORGANIC seems more open to experimentation. The breaks on the last track could be up for debate, but the breakdowns they deploy on the title track and especially on "Waste Monolith" have an almost Industrial flair to them, not unlike a mid-prime FEAR FACTORY. "Waste Monolith" most definitely gets a spot on the All-2021 Playlist.

All said and done, "Where Graves Abound" is a well-rounded second album. It builds from the debut by expanding the band's capabilities, displaying a competent ability to add depth. Even with the new stance, however, there's nothing to speak of as far as new ground being tread, as there's no shortage of Death/Doomers in the world. At least ORGANIC can be given credit for doing it well, and they'll certainly have credibility when they're ready to drop album three.