Graveyard – Lights Out

Graveyard released their third album and the second in two years. After the huge success of “Hisingen Blues” that made them famous, the Swedish retro hard rock band came quickly back with “Lights Out“. The question is, is it the worthy successor of “Hisingen Blues”? Well to be honest it really depends.

After the first hearing you notice that it’s clearly more slow and simple than their previous release. The album kicks in with a hitting song “An Industry Of Murder“, very promising and strong, but after the second blues toned one “Slow Motion Countdown“, it’s a pretty flat road.

The sound of course is still the same. Retro riffs straight from a trip to the 70’s, the compositions in the album are very enjoyable but in a same way the lack of breath and panache is present enough to let it pass. Of course songs like “Slow Motion Countdown” – filled with bluesy notes and melancholic atmosphere – and “Hard Time Lovin’” – which vocals are deep enough to dress the whole song – are uplifting the album concept and especially Goliath has all the inspiration and heaviness we met on Hisingen Blues, the hard rock sound of the guitars and the rusty vocals.

Comparing it to their previous album will only give you a negative aspect and the impression Graveyard are less alive in “Lights Out”. But if you see clearly as a new album, despite some parts, Graveyard released a more relaxed one still with the retro air and signature style.

So we can’t say “Lights Out” isn’t a worthy release for Graveyard, it surely has a good constitution but definitely, in my opinion, it has been released too soon. After the succes of their previous album this one pass more as a little aftermath. Maybe the band should have waited a bit more and release a second bomb of pure retro hard rock!