Ah, Stroszek, it has definitely been a while. Fronted by C. Alcara of Italian black metallers Frostmoon Eclipse, Stroszek explores the sounds of quiet, Americana-influenced folk rock painted in shades of late '90s post-grunge a la Mark Lanegan and Travis Meeks. 

Following in the path set by this trio's previous album, 2009's Life Failures Made Music, Stroszek's latest effort Sound Graveyard Bound shows Alcara turning the volume and aggression down even further, leaving more room for introspection and space, which this album has in spades. The "distant warmth" I had discussed in my last Stroszek review almost two years ago seems even further, and though the cold might have set in, Alcara's calming half-whispered voice is all the more endearing, acting as a beacon of hope in what is an otherwise hopeless and resigned album overall. 

Unfortunately, while Sound Graveyard Bound is enjoyable, I can't help but feel it is more of the same. There is no real middle ground between the quiet classical guitar-led verses and slightly distorted choruses, which is something I'd hoped Stroszek would have achieved after Life Failures Made Music. The dichotomy between the two "faces" of this project is nice, but it feels more jumpy than usual on this album. Also, the riffs and progressions we see on this album are rather similar to its predecessor, as I found myself asking myself if I was listening to either SGB or LFMM at various times. That's not to say that Stroszek is a "one trick pony," rather Alcara has seemed to carve himself deep within his own stylistic niche and seems to be running out of space. 

Though this album has its shortcomings, it is undeniably a Stroszek concoction, and I can't deny how much I enjoy their unique style. Sound Graveyard Bound might sound like previous efforts, but I enjoyed those, so, by proxy, this album is pretty decent. I might end up listening to Alcara's first two Stroszek albums a little more, but hey, there's always more if I'm looking for it!