In 2014 Graves put out their next release, a split cassette with Dunedin-based Conniption. The latter were a raw d-beat band, for whom this was their final recording with bass, drums and guitars originally recorded in 2010, with vocals and additional guitar tracks recorded the following year. The six songs recorded were supposed to end up on a vinyl release but the band fragmented, and four were used on this set, and it is certainly interesting to compare the two bands as while the four songs from Graves total just four minutes, Conniption are double that length. The production is also very different as well, with Graves being far more polished and Conniption going much more for the traditional Seventies UK punk ethic of a wall of mud combined with aggression.
Both bands are over the top, and hugely intense, but there is no doubt that Graves are far more frenetic and controlled, with a brutality matched with string production which allows them to turn up the volume but lose none of the clarity. This release also shows just how tight they are, with different time signatures and stop/start progressions being carried off with ease. More single word song titles, but the band had definitely progressed in the space between this and the debut, with a finesse in behind the sledgehammers they wield with aplomb. Consequently, when the Conniption tracks come on they are good, but somewhat pale when compared with what had gone before. That is a real shame as there is some good material there but the rawness of the production means that it doesn’t come across as well as it should. Again this has been made available free of charge by Graves, but it is also possible to go to Conniption’s Bandcamp site and grab the full six songs they recorded for “name your price”.
Rating: 7/10
