Graceless, from the Netherlands, returns with their fourth album, Icons of Ruin. The band continues with their OSDM approach, which has nods to melodic Swedish death metal. They’ve never been interested in creating super brutal death metal, but their albums showcase memorable riffs and songs, which this fella appreciates immensely.

I think anyone in the industry can attest that nowadays it is rare to have band members staying intact throughout consecutive releases. Line-up shifts happen as frequently as I change my underwear, and trust me, I change my underwear a lot – mainly to protect the public. Leave it to Graceless to have their line-up intact since their inception in 2016. This has created continuity in their sound, and I would imagine live they would be pretty tight.

10 songs in 46 minutes “God Shines in Absence” starts the album, and while it’s a pretty good tune, it has their doomy signature parts and galloping moments. for me, they should have started the album with song #2 – “Sanctified Slaughter”. Check out that isolated riff at the 50-second part. if that is not one of the best death metal riffs of 2025, then prove me wrong. It’s a creepy, crushing moment with Autopsy filth, and then the mid-paced Bolt Thrower section comes in, and this is tank tread heaviness. The double pounding, speedy death thrashing going on later during the song really makes this one of the finest songs Graceless has crafted.

“Night of the Slain” is a fun, hopping song with a memorable guitar riff, and Remco Kreft’s vocals have that old-school Gorefest tinge to it, which is excellent. Jasper Aptroot’s bass guitar is pretty prominent in the mix, and Marc Verhaar’s drums sound absolutely organic and not processed. The guitar melodies and harmonies of Kreft and Björn Brusse shine on this song, as does the melodic guitar solo early on. Those melodic elements hit home about halfway through the song. This part over the double bass and the harmonies, with the soloing, is actually pretty damn killer. After these moments, the Bolt Thrower mid-paced grinding heaviness returns, equipped, now, with a guitar solo. There is quite a lot of jam session style happenings on this song, without vocals, allowing the music to breathe. A delightful tune, indeed.

“Resurrection of the Graveless” ends the song with isolated bass guitar and drums before the guitars slide in as well as the vox. This galloping tune, well, the band saved the best for last. You cannot stop yourself from headbanging to this tune, which has a bit of Motörhead flair to it as well, so yeah, a little bit punky. The riffs are spectacular on this. These galloping, deadly parts are too catchy – honestly, this may be my new favorite Graceless song. Heavy, catchy, and most of all memorable. This is how you close out an album.

Graceless continues to spill out fun and killer albums, and Icons of Ruin is no exception. Their albums are consistent, riff driven, and at the end of the day, having an organic production will help any band in creating a warmer sound. I appreciate the lengths the band goes to to create memorable death metal that is not plastic-sounding.

[Visit the band's website]

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