Death metal veterans, Graveworm, have earned some internet fame in recent years - not just for having one of the best names in the genre, but also for their straight-faced cover translations of classic tunes, such as Iron Maiden's ‘Fear of the Dark’, Pet Shop Boys' ‘It's A Sin’, and R.E.M.'s ‘Losing My Religion’. They continue this trend on their latest, "Ascending Hate," with a bonus track rebuild of the pop-metal, um, classic: ‘Runaway’ by Bon Jovi.

These covers are well-executed and have become a part of Graveworm's reputation, but I'd advise audiences not to judge the band by these gimmicks. The original compositions on "Ascending Hate" are well-crafted and deserving of attention on their own merits. The album as a whole is a joyless, somber journey, but the bleak landscape is lush with expanses of beauty and dark brutality.

The songs tend to be generic death metal at their core, but the structures deviate enough to be interesting without devolving into chaos. Wherever the music teeters above cookie-cutter well-trod DM territory, Graveworm offers up Faith No More-esque synth or piano accompaniment or minor-key guitar lines to add depth and atmosphere. The occasional clean acoustic moments, including the intro to the opening track, ‘The Death Heritage’, are legitimately pretty and strong pieces of music, not just requisite soft parts to provide contrast to the adjacent blistering noise. Likewise, Graveworm are stingy with the riffage on this album, but use it frugally and effectively to counter the frenetic ultra-bpm beat.

The album wraps with a true classic of the genre in ‘Nocturnal Hymns II’, a song which showcases all of Graveworm's best qualities. Another excellent standout is ‘Stillborn’. The song titles may border on parody (e.g.: ‘Blood/Torture/Death’, ‘Buried Alive’), but "Ascending Hate" is still the work of a mature, self-assured songwriting team. They may not be out to rewrite the rulebook, but in this album, Graveworm have delivered a solid set to stand the test of time.