BY STEVE THIRIOT
In the stormy seas of the modern music industry, Gravehuffer has always sailed its own course. Since the dawn of their musical voyage in 2008, they've navigated through many different musical territories with a passionate disregard for boundaries. "Depart From So Much Evil" is their most recent chart, and it exemplifies what has made them stand out - a fearless devotion to their craft and an audacious blend of sonic influences.
The album starts with, "Blueprint For An Early Grave", with many different samples playing; that sets the stage for the sonic journey ahead . The adrenaline doesn’t wane with “Slayberry”, which showcases the band's mastery in blending Grindcore and Punk. Then, as we delve into "The Cryptid And The Iron Bird" and "Brainstorm", we're taken on a roller-coaster of emotions that ebbs and flows, taking listeners through realms of Metal and Grindcore with the precision of a surgeon and the wildness of a storm.
"Go Murder, Pray, And Die" with its ominous undertones serves as a prelude, a haunting forewarning and punk undertones of the epic that’s about to unfold.
The magnum opus of the album, "Depart From So Much Evil", is not just a song; it's a crusade. Inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, it is a 22-minute odyssey that winds through Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradisio. This colossal track is not just impressive in its length but in its scope. Gravehuffer manifests Dante's allegorical journey of the soul towards God in their own roaring, tumultuous style. The song is segmented, yet fluid; tumultuous, yet poetic. It is a brave endeavor and an outstanding showcase of Gravehuffer's ability to meld literary classics with their unique sound.
The decision to release the album in three distinct vinyl designs, each mirroring a segment of Dante's work, is nothing short of genius. It doesn’t just give fans a collector's item but rather an artifact, something that binds the visual and the auditory in a tangible form.
"Depart From So Much Evil" is an indication of Gravehuffer's audacity and musical prowess. They've taken a myriad of sounds from Crust, Punk, Metal, Grindcore, and Doom, and, rather than letting these genres pull them in different directions, they've crafted a coherent, forceful narrative. This is not just music; it's a new genre, one I was not prepared for, but enjoyed none the less. Gravehuffer is not just in it for the song - they're in it for the saga. And what a saga this is!
Listen to the album on SPOTIFY