GRAVEWORM Scourge Of Malice CD (2001)

By 2001, the Italian melodic black metal scene had quietly produced some of the most atmospheric, gothic-drenched extreme metal Europe had to offer, and Graveworm were doing some of the heaviest lifting.

Scourge Of Malice is the South Tyrolean band's third full length, and it lands in that specific sweet spot between symphonic black metal grandeur and gothic metal's inherent melancholy, where Moonspell and early Dimmu Borgir share territory but Graveworm bring their own fog. The production has that early 2000s European sheen that aged well, all layered keys, blastbeats, and vocals that shift between rasped aggression and clean melodic passages. It's an album that rewards the kind of listening you do in the dark with headphones on.

CD, full length album, released 2001. Country of origin: Italy. Genre: Melodic Black/Death/Gothic Metal.

Fans of: Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Moonspell, Samael, Agathodaimon, Stormlord, Hecate Enthroned.