Graveyard Ghoul
Tomb of the Mouldered Corpses

March 2013
Released: 2012, Final Gate Records
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Metal-Rules.com UK Team

Germany’s Graveyard Ghoul have just unleashed their first full length album “Tomb of the Mouldered Corpses”, a record that pretty much goes for the Old School Death Metal approach with a mixture of Black and Thrash Metal elements and a raw (but not too raw) production job. There is a clear Punk influence as well, with moments where the rhythm section goes into galloping beats while some open chord guitar riffs are thrown in.



After the “Voices from Beyond” intro, the song “Poetry of Death” begins with a slow, doomy riff that eventually shifts into a faster, punkish tempo. The band shifts between Death Metal riffing and mid tempo thrashing within the song, while vocals are delivered in a raspy, Black Metal inspired tone.



The title track is a more Death Metal affair, with a mid section that incorporates some eerie bass riffs before the band launch themselves full on into a faster, blast beat tempo. “Savage Note of Disease” actually reminds me of late 80’s-early 90’s era Death Metal, with its odd Necrophagia-like almost-out-of-tempo vocals. The song ends with somebody coughing or puking as the music dies out.



Next is “Splattered Body”, which is a short one minute track that manages to sound like a mixture of Punk and Black Metal. Drums are played in that old school, blast beat style. “Absolute Dead” comes next, and is quite the catchy track, like the previous one; on this one, though, there are more of those eerie bass riffs happening, and I am glad the band decided to use these throughout the record, because they are quite effective.



“Rotten Death” screams Old School Death Metal, with the band once again using more Death Metal riffs, and the drums coming on strong with some double kick drum sections. “Violent Beast” is a slower track that also uses some catchy choruses, as well as those kick ass bass lines mentioned earlier.



The next track, “Black Lagoon”, is also a slow number with bass once again taking center stage during certain sections. There are some slow sections on this one that adds to the track’s obscure sound. The song shifts to a faster tempo before it finishes.



The last track “The Walking Dead” is an instrumental which features what appears to be the sound of zombies with a slow, mysterious musical backdrop. A great track to end this record.

“Tomb of the Mouldered Corpses” may not be the most original record ever released, but it is one of the catchiest and most entertaining records I’ve heard in a while.



The album goes for the throat, with a short running time (almost 30 minutes) and songs that will stick in your head for a while long after you’ve heard the album.



Review by Titus Isaac