Swedish Black Metal band Gra have returned after a five-year gap with ‘Lycaon’, their fourth studio album and their first collaboration with Italian label Avantgarde Music. As an interesting side note, it is also the first Gra album not to be mixed and mastered by guitarist/vocalist Heljarmadr, with those duties going to Terry Nikas and George Nerantzis respectively.
As opening track ‘White City Devil’ roars into action it is clear to see a marked change in the style of the Stockholm based quintet. ‘Lycaon’ is a very sleek, straight-forward sounding album with a pleasantly flowing trajectory and an honest directness to their sound. ‘Flame of Hephaestus’ is an instant stand out track; created by utilising a thick and meaty bass line and solid drumming display as a platform, and from there adding satisfyingly catchy guitar melodies and fire breathing vocal work. I’ve always enjoyed Gra’s work but their style on this album is simply breath-taking; like they have tapped into the basics, the core essentials of what makes Black Metal great, and then cast off all the frivolous extras.
Another instant favourite is ‘Torn Asunder’, a track that flips back and forth seamlessly between windswept tremolo picking intensity and a more fluent and onrushing style of melody. There is a touch of the old Gra during the title track ‘Lycaon’ as the slow introduction holds within its core a touch of Dark Ambient harmony, but the track soon blows that out of the water for a hard hitting and hypnotically captivating drumming style along with punishing riffs and a thundering bass tone that really sets the nerves quivering. On an album that thus far has been heavily influenced by melody and catchiness, ‘Lycaon’ and the following short sharp shock of ruthless aggression that is a cover of Bathory’s ‘Chariots of Fire’, both act as a firm and deliberate reminder that Gra can sound ravenous and crushing.
There is more than a touch of the modern day Satyricon about the rhythmically mid paced ‘Ett avskedsbrev’ (A Farewell Letter) as well as an attitude to its sound and style of not giving a fuck; a real rabble rousing, chest thumping quality that that reminded me of The Beastie Boys ‘Fight For Your Right’ in a slowed down, Black Metal way. That might just be me though! Again, the bass play of Vediger is powerful and oh so satisfying! The longest track on the album is ‘Brännmärkt’, (Branded) and here Gra add another layer to an already incredible album; a slow, brooding slab of intensive, pulverising cacophony that uses drum beats like a Gods sledgehammer, battering into the mountainside and making the world shake, whilst noxious and dark riffs buzz like chainsaws. There is more than just a little Death Metal buried away within the tapestry of this apocalyptic sounding juggernaut!
I’m sad for ‘Lycaon’ to end, but it must do! ‘Jaws of the Underworld’ brings to a close a colossal beast of an album with a collaboration of war horns and rhythmic percussion, almost as if they decided to give drummer Dimman a chance to really shine. Not much to say in summary other than… beat that 2023!
(10/10 Marksson)
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