{"id":32247,"date":"2015-07-27T11:00:46","date_gmt":"2015-07-27T16:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.toiletovhell.com\/?p=32247"},"modified":"2015-07-26T18:52:57","modified_gmt":"2015-07-26T23:52:57","slug":"pissgrave-suicide-euphoria-a-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/pissgrave-suicide-euphoria-a-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Pissgrave &#8211; <i>Suicide Euphoria<\/i>: A Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n<p>The name <strong>Pissgrave<\/strong> appeared in our consciousness as a whisper last year. <em>Pissgrave<\/em>, <em>Pissgrave<\/em>. They released a vulgar seven track demo of raw Death Metal, notable for pitch-shifted vocals over extreme instrumentation and the obscene cover on the cassette. <em>Pissgrave<\/em>, <em>Pissgrave<\/em>. The whisper increased to a roar as Pissgrave landed a coveted opening spot on a short tour with <strong>Dead Congregation<\/strong>, whom Profound Lore labelhead Chris Bruni called &#8220;the most important band in death metal today&#8221;. Limited quantities of their 2014 demo sold out almost immediately, and reports from those concerts surfaced of Pissgrave&#8217;s intense live performances played at eardrum puncturing volumes. This year, news appeared on the usual social media outlets of Pissgrave&#8217;s signing to Profound Lore Records. First, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.metalsucks.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/pissgrave-logo-banner.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">their logo<\/a> appeared on Profound Lore&#8217;s Facebook page with no other news. Later, information regarding their debut album <em>Suicide Euphoria <\/em>surfaced as well.<br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\"  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_52028\"  width=\"320\" height=\"240\"  data-origwidth=\"320\" data-origheight=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CYrs_9uFdso?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;modestbranding=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We live at what some would consider the apex of music fandom, with an ever-expanding and nearly unlimited supply of music at our fingertips within seconds (though not everyone shares that view). Last year, I heard the Pissgrave whispers and became infatuated with the band. I listened to the three songs available to me (above, <a href=\"https:\/\/gracelessrecordings.bandcamp.com\/album\/grace014-pissgrave-s-t-demo-2014\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pZo3T0rp95I\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>) over and over and over again. Not satisfied with only a fraction of the demo, I ordered the cassette from a distro in Belgium. Fast forward to present day: the band with a penchant for morbid album covers is back.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_32255\" style=\"width: 385px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/IMG_02511-e1437690274274.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32255\" class=\"wp-image-32255\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/IMG_02511-e1437690274274-225x300.jpg?resize=375%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/IMG_02511-e1437690274274.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/IMG_02511-e1437690274274.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/IMG_02511-e1437690274274.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-32255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Proof of ownership.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>On <em>Suicide Euphoria, <\/em>the band avoids the heady intellectualism of skronk (dissonant death metal), and the polished technicality of many modern death metal bands. They don&#8217;t fit well into the brutal death metal camp occupied by sub-genre titans <strong>Defeated Sanity<\/strong>, or into the sepulchral death metal movement like <strong>Grave Miasma<\/strong>. They also avoid the amalgamation of styles like many bands of today, bands that play death\/grind\/hardcore\/whatever. Pissgrave play raw death metal &#8211; a mean spirited razing of guitars, drums, and bass.<\/p>\n<p><em>Suicide Euphoria<\/em> spans nine tracks over roughly thirty minutes. Four songs from their <em>2014 Demo<\/em> have been repurposed here: &#8220;Fields of Scattered Bones&#8221;, &#8220;The Second Sorrowful Mystery&#8221;, &#8220;Prevail in Hell&#8221;, and &#8220;Blood Fog&#8221;. Pissgrave recruited Arthur Rizk to produce, who is known for producing <strong>Power Trip<\/strong>, <strong>Inquisition<\/strong>, and <strong>Prurient&#8217;s<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.toiletovhell.com\/mini-reviews-from-around-the-toilet-bowl-xv\/\" target=\"_blank\">2015 record on Profound Lore<\/a>, <em>Frozen Niagara Falls<\/em>. Having listened to the demo obsessively, there is a big boost in quality- just don&#8217;t expect a polished sheen from a big name producer here. The production is still thick and murky, like an abandoned morgue.<\/p>\n<p>Pissgrave adopt an unusual approach to vocals compared to many death metal bands. They are wildly pitch-shifted, and form a hellish miasma against the claustrophobic atmosphere (check out the intro to &#8220;Fields of Scattered Bones&#8221;). They don&#8217;t vary much. They don&#8217;t need to. As an aside, unfortunately, the vocals are placed ever so slightly lower in the mix than on their demo. Their almost constant presence is a huge plus here. I couldn&#8217;t imagine them with different vocals.<\/p>\n<p><em>Suicide Euphoria<\/em> generally moves at a faster clip than mid-paced acts like <strong>Bolt Thrower<\/strong> or <strong>Hail of Bullets<\/strong>. The band plays aggressively and profanely. They don&#8217;t set out to dazzle listeners with futuristic riffs. As Toilet ov Hell author <strong>Simon Phoenix<\/strong> so eloquently put it, &#8220;there is a certain charm to their viciousness&#8221;. Guitars shred into riff salad on many of the tracks, but moments like the intro to &#8220;The Second Sorrowful Wind&#8221; point to an era of hightop white Reeboks. The album could use a few more of those moments. Many of the songs blur together. The viciousness is consistent but highlights are scarce.<\/p>\n<p>Due to the onslaught of new heavy metal to choose from on a weekly basis, record label PR has taken to calling every album the Heaviest, Most Crushing, Most Masterfully Played, or in this particular case &#8220;one of the sickest, rawest, most depraved and violent death metal releases of the year&#8221;. Rookie bands are often compared to legends. Understandable. It&#8217;s an effort to make releases matter in a sea of quality music. Heavy metal blogs follow suit, proclaiming many notable releases albums of the year, until the following week&#8217;s coverage. It&#8217;s how they get you to read them (I&#8217;ve done the same damn thing). <em>Suicide Euphoria<\/em> is a solid debut. Pissgrave are good at what they do, and reminder, their vocals are fantastic. This is a good album. It&#8217;s just not a great one.<\/p>\n<p>You can check it out for yourself. <em>Suicide Euphoria<\/em> is out August 7th.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_32277\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/pissgravesuicideeuphoria.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32277\" class=\"wp-image-32277\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/pissgravesuicideeuphoria-300x300.jpg?resize=500%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"pissgravesuicideeuphoria\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/pissgravesuicideeuphoria.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/pissgravesuicideeuphoria.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/pissgravesuicideeuphoria.jpg?w=700&amp;ssl=1 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-32277\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pissgrave | <em>Suicide Euphoria<\/em> | Profound Lore Records | August 7th, 2015<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"100\" src=\"http:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/v=2\/album=4076239303\/size=venti\/bgcol=FFFFFF\/linkcol=4285BB\/\" style=\"position:relative;display:block;width:400px;height:100px;\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Cover photo <a href=\"http:\/\/articles.philly.com\/2015-02-24\/news\/59427559_1_treasurer-former-lawmaker-reporters\" target=\"_blank\">via<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The name Pissgrave appeared in our consciousness as a whisper last year. Pissgrave, Pissgrave. They released a vulgar seven track demo of raw Death Metal, notable for pitch-shifted vocals over extreme instrumentation and the obscene cover on the cassette. Pissgrave, Pissgrave. The whisper increased to a roar as Pissgrave landed a coveted opening spot on a short tour with Dead Congregation, whom Profound Lore labelhead Chris Bruni called &#8220;the most important band in death metal today&#8221;. Limited quantities of their 2014 demo sold out almost immediately, and reports from those concerts surfaced of Pissgrave&#8217;s intense live performances played at eardrum [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":32248,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[70],"tags":[919,877],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/budddwyerforpost.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32247"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32247\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}