| Musical Style: Heavy Metal | Produced By: Wout Wormser |
| Record Label: Soundmass | Country Of Origin: Germany |
| Year Released: 2025 | Artist Website: Adorned Graves |
| Tracks: 9 | Rating: 85% |
| Running Time: |
Kaiserslauten, Germany based Adorned Graves combines some baffling specs. It’s heavy and accessible as traditional metal, its prompt and aggressive to the point of that speed and thrash based, it can be trudging and downtrodden in a doom-like sense, and it owns a lengthy and intricate songwriting acumen mirroring the progressive. All things added up it equates to one of the more singular, atypical and ingenious acts within hard music circles.
Adorned Graves debuted in 2015 with the independent four song EP The Hand Of Death prior to following up with full length albums Out From The Depth Of The Grave and Being Towards A River from 2017 and 2020, respectively (both also independent). Third independent third full length The Earth Hath Opened Her Mouth ensued in 2023, a 90% Angelic Warlord graded work innate to ‘richly textured and detailed songwriting’ imbued with ‘the distinct hooks, riffs and melodies that cannot help but draw in’ (quoting the review). The group signed with Soundmass Records for its June of 2025 five song EP Dream I, which impresses as ‘catchy in terms of the hooks and riffs but also crushing with forwardly placed rhythm guitar’ (referencing the 85% Angelic Warlord review).
Adorned Graves returns on Soundmass in October of 2025 with fourth full-length offering, Wouta. An exclusive limited edition 180g vinyl release (110 copies), Wouta contains remixed, re-mastered and re-vocalized versions to the best songs from Out From The Depth Of The Grave and Being Towards A River to embody a ‘greatest hits’ package of sorts. Re-vocalized in terms of manner in which Wouta features guest lead vocal appearances from Dale Thompson (Bride), Herbie Langhans (Seventh Avenue), Chris Ackerman (Betrayal), Fede Vogliolo (Lex Talion), Craig Cairns (Tailgunner) and Ruth Börner Staub. The group offers further details to the meaning behind the Wouta title:
“Wouta is a neologism by Cailen. It should sound like a very old and ancient word. It combines different old languages, such as Roman, Celtic, Gaelic, English, French and German: ‘Wasser, Aqua, Eau, Water, Ouisge, Dwfour’. It should mainly be an old word for ancient water or primal water. It also sounds like ‘Wouter’, which means Warrior or ‘the one who reigns’ and like ‘Wut’, which means furiousness.”
Album begins strongly to the creative six and half minute “Out Of The Deep”. Songs first four minutes breeze lightly to ambient keyboards, acoustic guitar and baritone vocals of Fede Vogliolo in establishing a melancholic if not borderline Gothic setting. Final two, however, muscle in more forthcoming fashion as rhythm guitar fractures in alongside echoing tower bells to speak of the somberly doom like. Lyric snippet:
Out of my distress I called
To the Lord my Saviour
Out of the depths of the grave I cried
And You heard my voice
For You cast me into the deep
Into the heart of the seas,
The flood surrounded me;
All your waves and breakers swept over me.
Out of the belly of Sheol I cry - Kyrie eleison
my life is fainting away - Kyrie eleison
“Opus One” reveals a speed and thrash metal side to the group within a melodic context. Rhythm guitar is upfront and brazen from the get go, escalating a tempo that after a minute kicks into high gear as double kick drum perseveres and aggressive rhythms assert. Soaring and classic tenor vocalist Craig Cairns, whom also guest fronted Dream I, complements the songs ominous if not outright threatening demeanor.
“The Lord Over Many Waters”, representing a remixed first part to the Being Toward A River cut “Effervescent Torrent”, breathes of classic metal. Albums shortest at three and half minutes, it realizes a furious tempo as upraised hooks and swarthy harmonies converge with Dale Thompson’s befitting intense but soulful vocal delivery. I sense a bit of Live To Die era Bride on this one. Lyric snippet (with quotes from Psalm 36 & 147):
He spreads snow like wool - scatters frost like ashes.
Hurls down hail like pebbles - He casts the ice like morsels!
Who can withstand His icy blast?
Who can stand before His cold?
He sends His word like fire - sends His breath and melts them
He makes His wind blow - makes the waters flow.
Who can withstand His warming rays?
Who can stand before His Light?
“Killing Shadow Black”, another shorter three and half minute piece, sees Adorned Graves revisiting its thrash side revealed in bellicose and contentious lead vocalist Chris Ackerman, whom reminds of Jimmy P. Brown II (Deliverance) singing in a lower register. Song proves a detonation of heavy hitting angst to plundering drums and robust bass that when combined with the occasional growled scream, brings a borderline extreme feel. This might be a stretch, but I am reminded of the Knightriot song “Kiss The Black” (off the groups 1989 demo Speak No Evil).
Second Dale Thompson fronted track “Panta Rhei” ensues. It touches upon a melodic heavy metal bent similar to Dream I, emboldened with its anthem-like tempo accelerated by Deafon Graever’s adamant timekeeping and vibrant hooks of an irresistible form. A metal environs sees Thompson in top inspired form in emanating energy, range and heartfelt emotion. Lyric snippet:
What does a man gain by all the toil?
At which he toils under this sun?
Generations come Generations go
But the earth stands forever fast
Vanity of Vanities!
Inexorable a-way
Vanities of Vanities!
All is vanity: Panta Rhei!
Bands signature track “Adorned Graves” initiates ‘Side B’. Songs instrumental two and half minute opening morphs from open-air guitar to disconsolate and foreboding plodding. The remaining four pick up force exponentially in a Deliverance-like technical thrash to speed metal aligning, with the chaotic nuances accented by a duet between Ackerman and the occasional extreme growl from founding member and rhythm guitarist Cailen Leif Graever. Rounding things out is a blinding lead guitar run from Wout Wormser straight from the Glenn Rogers (Deliverance) school of soloing. Lyric snippet:
Woe to you, you Pharisees, protectors of the law
You bind heavy burdens grievous to the bone
You claim yourself to be pure but you are full of dirt
Your shining splendid garments cover away a depraved heart
All hidden things that are reproved are made manifest by the light
Awaken sleeper arise from the dead, in the night Christ gives thee light
Those who were baptized into Christ are baptized into His death
We are buried with Him by baptism for we are hid and dead
You are adorned graves
Third and final Dale Thompson track “Rheingold” takes a melodic heading, backing from the thrash based propensity for a passionate mid-paced allure to see refrain soar with the best of them and tightly woven guitar riffs play a frontal role. This is close as any of the Wouta material comes to melodic power metal, somewhat akin to Rob Rock’s turn of the century solo releases. Lyric snippet:
Standing on the rocks over the canyon
Looking down with my sword in hand
Ships passing ancient ruins
Like a serpent the river glides through riven lands
Watching the black night painting the skies red
As the full moon rises in the eastern sky
My heart despondent as the smoke disappears
Mourning the cities of Kelts
Adorned Graves reveals the progressive side to its songwriting on the eight minute “Towards A River”. It proves a skillfully varied piece, opening its first two and half minutes instrumentally to airy backing vocals and jazzy bass ahead of gaining initiative as rhythm guitar gradually plays a bolder role. At the five-minute mark, song detonates, as battering guitar balances with Herbie Langhans’ gritty but melodic vocal style- all the while melody off the charts (noting the persuasive harmonies) allows the song to remain fixed in your mind. Topping things off is Wormser’s expertly done extended soloing section.
Closing Wouta is two-minute melodic guitar instrumental “Source Of Life” to feature soloing from guest Franz Romeggini (S91).
Wouta equates to a varied metal album running the gamut from that melodic to doom like to thrash and speed to progressive based. Credit the group for revisiting and reimagining its Out From The Depth Of The Grave and Being Towards A River material in such a highly upgraded format, with the well thought out vocal guest performers proving no small role in such regard. With two top releases to its credit, 2025 has proven a productive year for Adorned Graves. If a fan of the group or any styles contained therein, I encourage making Wouta a priority purchase.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Out Of The Deep” (6:31), “Opus One” (5:15), “The Lord Over Many Waters” (3:30), “Killing Shadow Black” (3:33), “Panta Rhei” (3:47), “Adorned Graves” (6:39), “Rheingold” (4:54), “Towards A River” (7:58), “Source Of Life” (1::58)
Musicians
Cailen Leif Graever - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals & Lyrics
Wout Wormser - Lead & Rhyhtm Guitar
Lupus Veruta - Bass
Deafon Graever - Drums, Vocals & Lyrics
Additional Musicians
Dale Thompson - Lead Vocals
Herbie Langhans - Lead Vocals
Chris Ackerman - Lead Vocals
Fede Vogliolo - Lead Vocals
Craig Cairns - Lead Vocals
Ruth Börner Staub - Lead Vocals
Franz Romeggini - Lead Guitar
