Disgrace
Vol. 2
Svart Records
This dirty ol' bastard has been lying around for nearly 20 years and has only seen the light of day because the band members scoured today's underground for old cassette copies good enough for an official release. What we have, therefore, is a true retro album; a step back in time with a new 1993 album. A very definite progression can be heard between this and the previous Disgrace album of the time, debut "Grey misery", although elements from that can be heard as well. The foundation for "Vol. 2" lies in the realm of early Black Sabbath and Danzig, both of whom were firm favorites of Disgrace back in the early '90s. There's obviously a bit of a stoner vibe on this, then, making it sound something like Sabbath with heavier vocals -- a goal that the band had in mind when writing the album. The production could obviously be better, but given the source material they've done a damn fine job. Besides, the harsh nature of the recording adds a distinctive character to it; you almost feel like you're back in 1993. I hate the term, but this could well have been the first death 'n roll album out there.
- John Norby
