Another generous full CD from the label and another band unknown to me. A band who describe themselves as a metal band playing songs through the eyes of the dying and the cover sports an elephant about to crush a man. You just know this is going to be heavy…
Opening track ‘Waves’ has that tidal pull of Neurosis, a dismal dank sludgy riff, tortured vocals and a ponderous pace. It’s going to be a dark time I think. ‘Bender’ has a more caustic riff but still the tectonic plate pace. In places the riff drops away entirely leaving only the drums and vocals, a harsh and bitter moment which for some reason makes me think of Bloodlet in a death grip with Of Spire & Throne.
‘Crusher’ has the feel of beast having reached a maximum, relentless plod and then the unexpected melody hits; still ominous, still bleak but suddenly we have shades and dark colour at the perfect moment. In a discordant, shifting way this is carried into ‘Alight’. It stutters, crashes and howls like some monolithic entity on its last legs…
‘Cauldron’ begins with a simple, deeply atmospheric few notes. The shiver almost delicately as the drums join before the sound begins a downward spiral into some abyss that makes my skull ache with the sharpness. This is a good thing.
‘Appian Way’ begins at the end, an almighty collapse of pounding, slow drums. It is a strange monochrome track, a simple pattern of guitar and drum that repeats until fade where the vocals are buried beneath the repetition but somehow manages to hold my attention.
‘The Pyre’ is a fitting end. More keening guitar and the riff suddenly pushing down hard. Flailing vocals haunt the song, howling and writhing in their own hell until the quiet place. From this still water it rises again, slow and wary as keyboards, organ like and malevolent push their way through until they drown everything else in the black waters and something that might once have been human dies with faint cries. It is a fantastic closer, an end of all. Perfectly judged.
I haven’t mentioned length of songs here. But the shock is that apart from the eight minutes of ‘The Pyre’ , every song is well under four. No pointless treading sludge with the same monotonous riff for half an hour, no needing ten to create the image in the listener’s mind. Grava conjure it with skill in moments.
Dark and bleak with the odd surprise that emerges from the tar and self-indulgence completely absent, Grava are prime, primordial sludge with fine musical judgement and focus. Not bad for a debut at all.
(7.5/10 Gizmo)
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