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Witchgrave is the debut full-length from the Swedish band of the same name whose EP, The Devil's Night, from 2010, I quite liked. The band continues to go straight for an early 80s Venom sound with Joakim Norberg's croaky vocals and a loose, Thrash guitar attack. None of the songs from the EP are carried over to Witchgrave so even though it only clocks in at just over 31 minutes, you still get all new music. The Venom influence still reigns but the band has added a good deal of melody to the new songs, especially in the form of Maiden/Priest dual guitar parts. The riffs remain crunchy but the solos are right out of the Murray/Harris/Tipton/Downing playbook. Witchgrave even dip their toes into the Mercyful Fate pool with some high-pitched vocals on "The Apparition." The lyrics are wonderfully satanic in the classic 80s style. Break out your upside-down crosses for "The Virgin Must Die," "Rites of the Dead" and "Seduced by the Dark."

There's nothing new on Witchgrave but that isn't the point so it isn't a deal-breaker. Fans of early Venom, Mercyful Fate and Running Wild and modern acts like Nekromantheon should find Witchgrave quite enjoyable.