Griftegard - Solemn · Sacred · Severe

Griftegard is a Swedish band made up with members of Wolverine and Bokor, and they play a brand of traditional doom which is emotionally crushing one minute and almost soothing the next. For the most part they sound like Candlemass meets Memory Garden but they play at a pace closer to funeral doom bands. What makes them different is they are a religious band but not in the bible-pushing sense, they write emotionally charged tales and question the point of our very existence. Thoughtful, mystic and esoteric, the band takes the religious angle and breathes new life into the sometimes predictable christian doom metal scene. The real strength of the band is to let the melodies carry the songs and create a atmosphere of despair and confusion. Vocalist Thomas Eriksson is a wailing singer who knows how to convey a feeling of being confused by his own existence and you can feel his pain while listening to this album. The first track on the album is a song originally recorded on their 2007 demo named "Charles Taze Russell" which is a interesting song about the prominent early 20th century Christian Restorationist minister from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and founder of what is now known as the Bible Student movement. I am not sure what point they are trying to make with writing a song like this but its has some thought provoking lyrics based upon Biblical themes. Musically though i had hard getting into the track and the same goes with the second track "Punishment & Ordeal". The tracks just seem life-less and even though this extra slow take on traditional metal isn't meant to be uplifting, these two tracks sound stagnant and lacking any dynamics.

Thankfully the rest of the album is great, "I Refuse These Ashes " is a great track with a excellent use of choirs at the end of the song. The atmospheric "Noah’s Hands" is the odd track on Solemn, Sacred, Severe. It provides a folksy ambient interlude on a album that is mainly epic doom. The much heavier "The Mire is my pick for the best track but the finale "Drunk With Wormwood" is a close second. Thomas Eriksson makes it mark on this song but more or less going solo, this song would sound very cheesy done by most other bands or vocalist's but here he is accompanied by a piano and delivers something very effective. Most of the time Griftegard follows the doom formula but the use of a church organ sound ( not standard keyboards )and choirs only adds to the funeral vibe. The songs are mostly based around extended riff ideas with a sound in the middle range of heaviness but they do seem short on solo's at times. The drumming of Jens Gustafsson is solid but its the ominous vocals from Eriksson that make this album so haunting. Solemn, Sacred, Severe displays a solid performance that’s aided by the excellent production, the artwork is also very good. Griftegard is a Christian band but its still very much in the mold of classic Swedish / Euro doom metal. Fans of everyone from Candlemass to Reverend Bizarre will find something to get excited about with the album but its definitely a album to listen to while in a state of loneliness. Apart from the first two tracks, i dig this album and it kills their only other proper release, the "Psalm Bok" EP. The huge improvement in writing and the emergence of Thomas Eriksson as such a powerful vocalist makes their future in doom metal a intriguing one, the next chapter in their recording career could see them catapulted into doom metal greatness, for now they are already almost there. 8/10

www.myspace.com/griftegrd