Review / 200 Words Or Less
Gravehill
Practitioners Of Fell Sorcery

A389 (2011) Jon E.

Gravehill – Practitioners Of Fell Sorcery cover artwork
Gravehill – Practitioners Of Fell Sorcery — A389, 2011

Gravehill are a band formed from Gehenna. While the band have persevered and continue on to this day this demo is the only recording with this lineup. Formed to fully embrace the members love of old school death metal and hardcore. This lineup including the Gehenna vocalist Mike recorded this and pressed maybe 100 copies total on cassette and cd upon it's initial release. Having since become a hard to find piece of the 7 crowns legacy A389 did the right thing and picked it up to make a real release of it.
What of the music itself? If you took Terrorizer and Gehenna and mangled the corpses together Gravehill would be the inevitable result. Trading in much of the hardcore tendencies of Gehenna for grinding metallic riffs and demonic content this shows the members love of metal. The guitars blaze along creating semi melodic (not Gothenberg style) backdrops for what may be the most demonic vocals Mike Cheese has ever committed to tape . This only helps to convey the truly evil lyrical imagery within the lyrics. The music is played in a very non technical style instead they rely on being menacing and fast throughout. This does little to hurt the band as their style is meant to be simple.
This piece of Gehenna's history has been given an opportunity to be re-birthed, remastered and given it's proper due. While it will most likely not appeal to most new metal fans due to both it's recording style and lack of pretense it does shine a light on the influences that the members carry and how musically adept they are. As homage goes this is near the top as for something new this does little to bring something truly different to the table. The simple fact is this is old school style death made for those that love it by those that love it.

7.8 / 10Jon E. • August 15, 2011

Gravehill – Practitioners Of Fell Sorcery cover artwork
Gravehill – Practitioners Of Fell Sorcery — A389, 2011

Related news

Gravehill adds new guitarist

Posted in Bands on August 1, 2010

Gravehill, Cardiac Arrest, Hod tour

Posted in Tours on June 13, 2010

Recently-posted album reviews

Bevis Frond

Horrorful Heights
Fire Records (2026)

God loves Nick Saloman, and from the heavens, the expulsion of the beloved archangel fell and spawned Horrorful Heights. A 20-track double-album behemoth. Eighty-eight minutes of musical mayhem. Who does that anymore? nobody. As they edit themselves down to make nice, safe Spotify playlists, Nick just dumps the whole glorious attic on your head like the wicked witch of the … Read more

Nine Pound Hammer

Too Outlaw For Outlaw Country
Reptilian Records (2026)

For nearly forty years, Nine Pound Hammer have occupied a strange corner of American music that very few bands have ever managed to touch. They're too loud for traditional country, too country for most punk bands, too dirty for radio rock, and frankly too stubborn to care where anyone thinks they belong. That's exactly why Too Outlaw For Outlaw Country … Read more

Fuming Mouth

The Ringing Bell”
Triple B (2026)

There are plenty of bands capable of writing crushing death metal. There are plenty of bands capable of writing punishing hardcore. Very few can occupy both worlds without sounding like they're simply alternating between genres. Fuming Mouth have spent years refining that balance, and The Ringing Bell feels like the moment where every piece of their identity locks together. Anyone … Read more