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Early Graves arose from the ashes of Apiary. It has many of the same members, but there had been so many lineup changes over the years the band decided to start fresh with a new name. They also have a different sound.

We: The Guillotine is based in metalcore, but Early Graves adds a lot of other elements to the mix. Old school crust punk, thrash metal, death and hardcore give the songs a different flavor.


The CD starts off really aggressively, and the first few songs don't really distinguish themselves.

After the mellow interlude appropriately titled "Rest," Early Graves dives into more diverse sounds, although they never lose that aggression. Vocalist Makh Daniels spits out the politically and socially charged lyrics with force and conviction. Eugene Robinson (Oxbow) and Steve Austin (Today Is The Day) also lend their vocal talents to the CD.

Early Graves certainly haven't reinvented metalcore, but they have repackaged it and presented it in a slightly different way that they hope will differentiate them from the masses. We: The Guillotine doesn't always succeed in doing that, but they are off to a good start.

(released August 19, 2008 on Ironclad Recordings)