GRAVEYARD is a four-piece Death Metal band from Barcelona, Spain. The band's been around for a little over a decade, releasing their first demo, "Into the Mausoleum", in 2007. Since then, the band has released four full-length records, three EPs, and numerous splits. Their most recent effort, "Hold Back the Dawn", was released on September 20th of this year through War-Anthem Records.

The record opens with a slick, one-two punch of tracks "Swarm Of Flies" and "Winds Like Daggers", the latter of which is the debut single of the record. The guitars and drums are tight and brutal with the gruff vocals of Julkarn smacking you hard in the face. This is how a death metal record should open. These are fast-paced songs that set the pace for the record. The follow-up song, "Of Extant Cults And Living Terrors", showcases guitar skills of Bastard and C.S. leaving you wanting more in terms of solos.

The next track on the record, "Hurled Unto Damnation", sticks out as my favorite in the selection. The pacing slows down but harshness and brutality is not lost. The variation in guitar dynamics and speed gives the track more room for the vocals to breath. It's the second longest song on the record, clocking in at eight minutes even, but the length is hardly noticeable.

The guitar solo on the final track "Madre De La Noche" closes out the record with seconds of silence afterwards followed by a hidden track that's unnamed. The hidden track plays some spooky organ-type sounds over the top of some faint guitars and growls we've come to know and love. A perfect epilogue to a striking record.

This record has stuck out as a highlight death metal album of the year so far. GRAVEYARD have been around for over a decade but have somehow slipped past my radar. With this record, I'm excited to dive into the discography and see what awaits me on previous releases. The album has unique sounds that makes it stick out and more memorable instead of falling into a generic death metal tone that plagues many releases yearly. Go listen to this record, you won't be disappointed.