November 4, 2012 by A.S. Van Dorston

When Graveyard released their career-defining second album Hisingen Blues last year, the last thing I expected was an immediate followup that’s even better. Most bands seem to take an average of at least three years between albums these days. More than just referencing early 70s production, they’re putting out albums more often, and most importantly, albums packed with truly exceptional songs that stand the test of time. Lights Out seals Graveyard’s legacy as not just one of the best bands in the Swedish heavy blues/psych scene, but one of the great rock ‘n’ roll bands anywhere, from any era.

Graveyard’s roots in the Swedish heavy stoner/psych scene in Örebro and Gothenburg go deep into the 90s, when singer/guitarist Joakim Nilsson and bassist Rikard Edlund were in Norssken with Witchcraft’s Magnus Pelander. They then spent five years in Albatros with drummer Axel Sjöberg. Despite his current identity being closely tied to his signature raspy but powerful vocals, Nilsson didn’t sing in that band, while Edlund played guitar. Unhappy with the direction and effort put into the music, they disbanded Albatros, and out if its ashes rose Graveyard in 2006 with guitarist Truls Mörck (who was replaced by Jonatan Larocca-Ramm after their first album was completed). Their self-titled 2008 debut revealed how serious they were with some seriously big league songwriting chops, particularly on “Thin Line” and “Lost In Confusion.” While Witchcraft delved deeper into doom metal, folk and prog, Graveyard focused on straight ahead hard rock, but with their own signature sound and nuances which would reach full maturity on Hisingen Blues.

As great as Hisingen Blues is, and some have scoffed at the possibility of the band surpassing it, Lights Out does just that, seeing Graveyard reach a whole new artistic level. The band’s move to continue to write a few slower numbers may not be popular with all the fans, but it’s always been one of their strengths, with “No Good, Mr. Holden,” “Uncomfortably Numb,” “The Siren” and going back to “Blue Soul.” The production moves Nilsson’s vocals up slightly in the mix, revealing the progress he’s made in expanding his repertoire beyond his impressive throaty roar in full rock mode. He often sings in a lower register which works well with the darker, weightier songs. On “Hard Time Lovin” his baritone practically luxuriates in the same gravelly terrain as Mark Lanegan. The songwriting has a newfound subtlety. The difference is conveniently illustrated by the album covers. While the last album revealed the monsters under the water’s surface in vivid, sickly detail, Lights Out keeps the beasts hidden, leaving you to stumble in the dark to discover them with your hands, all the more unnerving. “Slow Motion Countdown” consolidates their strengths into one of their greatest of slow-burners, with Nilsson showing his voice can ascend a couple octaves when needed. By far the longest cut at 5:45, it still seems to end too soon.

Despite the attention on the slow songs, the meat and potatoes of Graveyard’s repertoire remain driving hard rockers, which take up most of the album. “An Industry Of Murder” kicks off the album with a foreboding siren, and the band blasting off with menacing energy. At 2:32, “Seven Seven” is the most concise, frenetic burst on the album which overall is an economical thirty-five minutes. Solos are short and to the point, and the music relentlessly moves forward and is finished sooner than I want. Repeated listens are needed to catch all the hooks, melodies and time changes in songs like “The Suits, The Law & The Uniform,” “Endless Night” and “Goliath.” Endlessly entertaining with some thought-provoking firebrand lyrics, these are the singles that should make ’em rich. The album winds down with “20/20 Tunnel Vision,” a deceptively simple sounding mid-tempo song that is one of their most unique, leaving me wanting more.

In the process of listening to Lights Out a good 20 times this past week, I also replayed their first two albums a lot. It’s hard to compare Graveyard to a different era when bands strode the planet as gods, but for what it’s worth, I don’t think there’s a single dud song in the band’s catalog. I can’t say that for most bands, even the likes of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath before their declines. Here’s hoping we’ll be so lucky that Graveyard keeps up the amazing pace they’ve set and brings even more classics into the world.

Buy: http://store.nuclearblastusa.com/Search/graveyard

It should go without saying that they are NOT to be missed live.

01/23/13 Royal Boston – Boston, MA
01/24/13 Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA
01/25/13 Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
01/26/13 Black Cat – Washington, D.C.
01/27/13 Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY
01/29/13 The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
01/30/13 Exit/In – Nashville, TN
01/31/13 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
02/01/13 The Hi-Tone Café – Memphis, TN
02/02/13 The Firebird – St. Louis, MO
02/04/13 The Shelter – Detroit, MI
02/05/13 Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
02/06/13 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
02/08/13 Larimer Lounge – Denver, CO
02/09/13 Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT
02/11/13 The A Club – Spokane, WA
02/12/13 Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
02/13/13 Neumos – Seattle, WA *featuring The Devil’s Blood and Royal Thunder*
02/15/13 Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
02/16/13 Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
02/17/13 El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
02/18/13 The Casbah – San Diego, CA
02/19/13 The Crescent Ballroom – Phoenix, AZ
02/21/13 Emo’s East – Austin, TX
02/22/13 Granada Theater – Dallas, TX
02/23/13 Fitzgerald’s – Houston, TX *featuring The Devil’s Blood and Royal Thunder*