"Culled from the darkest
corridors of abyssic ruins comes the first full length release by Greek
death metal demons, Dead Congregation. Not only does this album live up
to the high expectations that were set for this band following the
release of their excellent 2005 mini album, Purifying Consecrated
Ground, this album sets a new standard for metal in general. Originally
having released a handful of recordings under the name, Nuclear Winter,
Dead Congregation have since evolved into one of the most innovative and
powerful bands in the underground. Refusing to be confined to a narrow
conception of death metal, Dead Congregation delve into obscure recesses
to conjure up a sound that is unique and yet still adheres to the
fundamental pillars of death metal songwriting. While Dead Congregation
draw most heavily on brooding and
evil North American and Finnish style death metal such as Immolation,
Demigod, and Incantation, they also incorporate other extraneous
influences to produce a sound that cannot be directly attributed to any
of their predecessors. Listen, for instance, to the monumental last
track in which they deftly and subtly employ elements of 1990’s Swedish
black metal to accentuate the climax of the album. With this album, Dead
Congregation have taken chances by experimenting somewhat with the
death metal format. However, this album is not an “experimental” metal
album. Dead Congregation do not besmirch the history of death metal with
any sort of pretentious artistic vision. Instead they find themselves
merely tweaking the formula just enough to produce novel results.
Ultimately, Graves of the Archangels is nearly unrivaled by any death
metal album released in the past decade and few bands in the history of
metal have ever produced such a profound combination of technical
agility and emotional depth. Listening to this album it is clear that
its creation provided a cathartic channel for the release of an obscure
malevolence and darkness that possesses the members of Dead
Congregation."
Forged in Hell 2006-07.
Artwork, layout and lyrics on tracks 5-6 by Timo Ketola
Lyrics on track 8 by MkM