Victor Griffin’s In-Graved - Victor Griffin’s In-Graved
For those who know their Doom, Victor Griffin is no stranger. He’s been around the block, having played in Pentagram, Death Row and Place of Skulls. The other members of In-Graved have similar pedigrees. Pete Campbell, the drummer, was in 60 Watt Shaman and Place of Skulls. Bassist Guy Pinhas was in The Obsessed, Acid King and Goatsnake. Oly Olson, who plays the Hammond organ on this release, was the drummer for Trouble. With an all-star lineup like that, you would think that this album would be a Doom masterpiece. It isn’t exactly, but it doesn’t suck by any stretch of the imagination. This is a very solid record with good sound and songs. Is it totally awesome? No. It isn’t perfect. For a debut, this is some pretty rocking stuff, though. I’ve heard this album slagged for not being heavy enough and also for being too upbeat. These are valid arguments. The thing to remember is that this is Doom Rock, not Doom Metal. These songs are very Blues-influenced Rock & Roll in style, but with a guitar tone that is reminiscent of early Black Sabbath or Trouble. Fans of old Sabbath and vintage ’70s Hard Rock will enjoy this far more than anyone else. This is good old-school Bluesy Hard Rock. It’s more upbeat than your average Doom LP, but it still retains its heaviness. Another issue some folks had with this record was the insertion of Victor’s Christian beliefs into the lyrics, particularly on songs like “Late for an Early Grave” and “Never Surrender.” Trouble and Place of Skulls had similar content in their music. Older Doom fans will remember that Trouble was called “White Metal” because of this. The songs may have “positive” themes, but this is a long way from being Altar Bridge. In fact, I don’t recall any specific places where any overtly Christian content beyond vague themes ever appeared, so it’s fairly easy to disregard. If you’re looking for abject misery and droning music, look elsewhere. If you want Bluesy Rock & Roll with a Doom edge and can possibly ignore some aspects of the lyrics, here you go.
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