Grafvitnir – Necrosophia (Daemon Worship Productions)

Sunday, 20th December 2015
Rating: 7/10

As winter finally begins to fall upon us, the need for some frost-bitten, cold black metal becomes more and more apparent. There’s just something more appropriate about looking out the window and watching the falling snow to the sound of some rudimentary production full of tremolo picking, blast beats, and raspy vocals. And for that, your most recent entry would be that of the Swedish band Grafvitnir, and their third full-length, Necrosophia.

Carrying on the well-worn tradition of their countrymen Dissection, Necrosophia is a nice throwback to the cold melodic black metal that was well on its rise in the late 1990s. There’s a frosty atmosphere on the album, which only stops itself short from putting actual icy winds in the background – it’s quite cold. There’s also that majestic, melodic element to the guitar riffing (which of course is heavily tremolo picked) that the best bands of the time pulled off flawlessly. Grafvitnir also does best with this element, as one listen to the opening of “Varulvsnatt” is sure to bring you back to your heydays as you cranked Storm of the Light’s Bane or In the Nightside Eclipse on repeat. The only real downside to Necrosophia is how derivative it does feel to the formula. The album references in check will give you a very good impression on what to expect, so your admiration for the sound is going to be a deciding factor in your enjoyment level.

For those who still relish in that Scandinavian black metal sound, Grafvitnir are sure to provide you with all the bells & whistles you need for maximum pleasure. It’s clear that their emulation of the sound is performed with passion and skill. But if that’s not enough, you aren’t going to miss much with this one.

Grafvitnir on Facebook

[fbcomments width="580"]