Grave Miscalculation is the sophomore release from San Francisco/Bay Area metal act Fought Upon Earth, a duo comprised of Mark Lamb (guitars & keyboards) and Lance Lea (drums). Guitarist Terry Goss also makes a guest appearance on the album, contributing some guitar solos on a few tracks. The guys here have decided to take a purely instrumental route, adding some prog flavors to their otherwise full-on heavy metal delivery, which combines elements of power metal, doom, and thrash. "Instant Pariah" is an excellent song to pinpoint that really shows off the full spectrum of what these guys can do, as a smattering of keyboards adds some atmosphere to what is otherwise a clever, complex mix of thrash and doom. Manic drums follow alongside tumultuous riffing on "Rabies Show", while lush, pastoral soundscapes and heavy doom/stoner riffs collide on the proggy "Could Be Coyotes". Other highlights include the manic thrash of "Isn't She Dreadful", complete with some terrific drumming from Lea and smoldering Lamb guitar solos, the psychedelic metal that is the title track, the frenzied riff-o-rama "Cull the Law", and the crushing, near funeral doom of "Old Coat".
Plenty of interesting ideas and textures abound on Grave Miscalculation, resulting in a fine instrumental metal/prog album that I can easily recommend.
Track Listing
1.
What You Call Contraband, I Call Saturday Night 04:16
2.
Instant Pariah 05:16
3.
Rabies Shower 03:30
4.
Could Be Coyotes 05:43
5.
Isn’t She Dreadful 03:46
6.
Goggles and Gloves 02:55
7.
Grave Miscalculation 06:41
8.
Cull The Law 03:41
9.
Old Coat 05:37