Grábakr, from which the name Grabak is derived, refers to one of the serpents who resides within the roots of Yggdrasil from the Poetic Edda and Nordic mythology. With a name like this, you might think that the band are Scandinavian, but, although Grabak have significant Scandinavian influences evident in their music, they are firmly rooted as a leading force in the German black metal scene and have been so since their inception back in 1995.
They started with a couple of demos before releasing album after album of top-quality black metal and by my reckoning, ‘Scion’ is their seventh album. ‘and picks up where ‘Bloodline Divine’ left off in 2017 with searing riffs and mid-tempo melodies at the fore creating an irrepressible intensity.
The album opens with a short intro piece which builds an atmosphere before ‘Epitomes of Cruelty’ kicks in with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the face and is relentless as it builds to its climax. This continues on ‘Furia II – Weltenbrand’ as gruff, vitriolic vocals lead the charge. The lyrics are audible but in German which adds to the overall effect and as the album progresses, there are definite influence from Scandinavia (as mentioned earlier), but there are also nods to the 90s thrash scene and some death metal nuances all embedded within the rich black metal onslaught.
The barrage continues with ‘Blutkelch’ which fades out with a more sombre, simple melody and the sound of waves crashing on a shore. ‘The Siren’s Song’ is a little more deliberate in its approach but loses nothing in terms of intensity and ‘Heirs of the Serpent’ in infused with glorious melody cascading among the pummelling percussion and riffing.
One of the stand out tracks on the album is ‘M.A.I.D. – My Art is Death’ which is full of venom, particularly during the slower sections where the vocals are spat forth with a deliberate maleficence, leading into ‘Black Water’ which is another heavyweight bruiser. The album is brought to a close with ‘Echoing the Sound of Hell’, which has a slightly different feel to the rest of the album and almost has an introspective, reflective character to it. It is more subdued and almost feel ‘progressive’ in places but is still dripping with disdain.
This album is Grabak’s best by far. It has the perfect balance of furious aggression and melodious atmosphere pulling you into its claustrophobic depths. The mix is great and the albums dynamics work perfectly. This is one of the best albums I have heard for some time.
(9/10 Andy Pountney)
Leave a Reply