This is a landmark tenth full length album from Sweden’s  “Masters of Death” who are now joined by Tobias Cristiansson from the ashes of Dismember (whom are sadly missed I might add). Ola Lindgren survives as the founder member in this band steeped in history and now possessing a new line up. Their last effort ‘Burial Ground’ did touch upon a lot of the facets of the recent Grave sound, but ‘Endless Procession of Souls’ has more urgency, there is more of a spark, a welcomed turn of speed when the arrangements change back and forth is pleasing to hear as I feared Grave were beginning to run out of ideas. Although they are back on their original record label, I have baulked at the price on some websites of the pre-order value of this album on CD and vinyl, my advice would be to shop around.

With a new injection in the writing team, Ola has gained a band that has the talent and skill to go back to their heavier, dirtier roots. This album does this, tracks of a speedier tempo like ‘Passion of the Weak’ go hand in hand with the downright rotten slower tracks such as ‘Plague of Nations’. When you listen to the resultant sustain from the guitars, it sends a shiver down your spine, this is a sound for me that does the trick. Grave songs are on the whole genuine, they have life, I would also imagine that these chaps have been taking note of the younger bands cutting their cloth in the industry as the sound on this latest opus is very fulfilling. From whatever influence, I believe it to be a genuine change in the song writing team, Grave has mastered their art (an art that they helped invent back in 1988) in 2012 and ‘Endless Procession of Souls’ shows that their peers must try harder, you cannot keep this band down. The sound is slightly more polished than their previous release, and I really wasn’t sure about this album upon my first listen to be fair, but given time and a louder volume perspective, this kicks ass, it is Grave…what else do you expect?

‘Endless Procession of Souls’ is an album that reignites the band and brings them back to the forefront as one of Swedish death metal pioneering magicians.

(7.5/10 Paul Maddison)

http://www.grave.se