In music, inheriting a legacy can be a both a blessing, and a potential curse. For example, it can mean there is already a fan base, but there is also the danger of not living up to what came before, and dashing high expectations. Spiral Grave, rising from the ashes of cult doomsters Iron Man have skilfully avoided that latter pitfall with their first album ‘Legacy of the Anointed.’
‘Nightmare on May Eve (Dunwich Part 1)’ opens the album with a greater pace than might be have been anticipated from a band born of early Sabbath worship, with galloping riffs rising up to meet the soaring vocals of Dee Calhoun as he delivers his own take on the classic Lovecraft story ‘The Dunwich Horror’; yes, lots of bands have mined the rich seam of darkness created by HPL for their inspiration, indeed the said Mr Calhoun has a number of books out that give a nod to that very author, but few have done so as well as Spiral Grave. The riffage continues with ‘Modern Day Golden Calf’, and for the first few bars the NOLA sound of Down dripped from the speakers; indeed, guitarist Willy Rivera with his deep tones would be an ideal go to if that aforementioned sludge leviathan ever needed an extra six stringer added to their mix. If by now your neck isn’t getting a workout, the beat of ‘Out of My Head’ will get it moving, the rhythms of Messrs Strachan and Waldeman driving the track forward with the power of an ironclad juggernaut.
‘Nothing’ transports the band from modern day Maryland to early seventies Birmingham, by which I mean the real one in England of course, as Spiral Grave deliver a track that could have easily graced any of Black Sabbath’s early albums with its down tuned guitar and complex bass lines that work in such symbiosis with the drums. The only thing that betrays the illusion is the air raid siren howls of Dee in place of the short barks of Ozzy. The goodness continues unabated with ‘Your Enemy’s Enemy’, another stomper of a track to have a pit swirling, a movement that will only be further whipped up by the almost groove laden blast of ‘Walking Talking Dead Man’, and if you were hoping for a rest, you’re out of luck as the band deliver ‘Tanglefoot’, the only respite coming halfway through the track as it enters a slower contemplative mood in contrast to its opening sprint, albeit that introspection is quickly swept away by another tsunami of metal. The band, however, returns to the doom clouded abyss of their roots with ‘Abgrund’, the guitar a text book example of respectful Iommi worship, whilst the bass and drums stamp forward with the slow but inexorable pace of a golem. Of course the eight minutes plus of the track allows the band to hit the accelerator as Screaming Mad Dee demonstrates the vocals that helped earn his nickname.
Spiral Grave can be rightly proud of ‘Legacy of the Anointed’, showcasing as it does the considerable abilities of four seasoned musicians, being respectful of their own legacy, whilst injecting a new energy into the mix. Here’s hoping that when the shitstorm created by the intersection of Brexit and Covid19 has finally blown over Spiral Grave will hit the shores of the UK as I would love to hear this live.
(8/10 Spenny)
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