Graves of Valor
Salarian Gate

June 2009
Released: 2009, Relapse
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Alan Gilkeson

Ferocious, crispy riffing abounds while an amazing drummer rampages through eleven slickly produced songs (Brian Elliot). In the vain of bands like Job for a Cowboy and 3 Inches of Blood, Graves of Valor consists of the remnants of the Deathcore band Through The Eyes of The Dead. Less Deathcore than it's predecessor, Graves of Valor's debut disc SALARIAN GATE is a tasty razor edged brand of modern Death Metal.



The actual Salarian Gate was the entrance many invaders of Rome went through, and incidentally, one of few places to keeps it's original name after Christianity, when almost every building, road, tower, and wall, was given a new name under the Christian Regime. Quite interesting when contrasted with the method of Graves of Valor, obviously bringing newer styles to the genre, at times thrashy, other times doomy, still it's just Death Metal. The energy and climate may have changed, but not the name, just like the Salarian Gate.



Dayton Cantley is one of the finest young drummers in the biz, tremendous footwork, speed switching, and timing, makes him a rising star. Listen to tunes like "Bridles of Incitatus", "Pestilence", and "Salarian Gate" and you'll get my drift here. The kid is amazing. I'm loving the vocals as well, vicious and solid, and there's some nice melodic guitar solos here and there. Overall a solid disc, nice add to your Death Metal collection.