Album Review: Gravespawn – Inexorable Grimness (Folkvangr Records)

Released in August 2016, Gravespawn’s Inexorable Grimness will be getting a cassette tape version on the 25th July 2017 via Folkvanger Records.

Five tracks of bleakness, five tracks of coldness, five tracks of black metal glory. All with a melodic touch that makes the bitter & disgusted sound more palatable. Inexorable Grimness sounds ancient, it sounds like music played at the beginning of the worlds creation. When we crawled out of the primordial ooze, Gravespawn where there, spitting fire & fury.

With the crashing of drums, the soaring riffs & twisted vocals, Gravespawn get things started brilliantly on Old Dragon’s Domain. The furious black metal sound increases for Oath of the Annihilator, super-fast riffing with a rawness not heard yet. When the track drifts away into a sorrowful melody changing pace & style, it goes from a great song to a simply stunning piece of work.

This ability to go from high-tempo black metal to soft melody in an instant is amazing. That Gravespawn do it so well & without losing the ‘evil’ edge they have, makes this album a work of art.

All five tracks are immensely satisfying, offering elements to please the many different faces of black metal fandom. It calls to the dark places of the mind but doesn’t leave you feeling hopeless. Between the Devouring Monstrosities is a heavy & violent slab of heavy metal but its rawness isn’t without exceptional rhythm. It’s this that you remember the most about the song & the record overall.

Inexorable Grimness ends on the most stunning song so far. The guitar work on show in Scribes of Forsaken Lore is amazing. Soaring melody & rhythm backed up with throat-gurgling vocals & the smashing of drums. It’s the cherry on top of the best black metal cake you’ve ever eaten.

Absolutely brilliant.

Gravespawn – Inexorable Grimness Full Track Listing:

1. Old Dragon’s Domain
2. Oath of the Annihilator
3. Thy Gates Ablaze
4. Between the Devouring Monstrosities
5. Scribes of Forsaken Lore

You can pick the album up now over on Bandcamp as well as through Apple Music below. Head over to Folkvangr Records to order the cassette copy here. Check out Gravespawn over on Facebook & MySpace.