Список групп Black Metal Graveborne Pure Negativity

Finland's Graveborne this year releases their debut full length album, Pure Negativity, after a slight shift in lineup with the departure of ex-vocalist Raivo and the inclusion of new vocalist Raato. Being Finnish by default already qualifies them on my to-listen list, and by now it should be obvious that some of my favourite black metal acts hail from that country.

A heavy/thrash metal-inspired riff greets the listener as the album opens with Metamorphosis, but make no mistake here as the band soon breaks into black metal riffing, the way Finnish black metal bands have come to be known for. Right from the start, the rumbling basslines are clearly audible, and this helps in making the atmosphere in the music heavier than it already is, and this certainly helps to grab the attention of fans of black metal with a raw and heavy atmosphere.

The thing about Graveborne's music that makes them stand out from their Finnish counterparts is the complexity in their music. In almost all of the tracks there are moments that vary not only in terms of speed and aggression like on Dark Clouds of Pestilence, but also in musical styles and song structures. For example, there are moments that are just heavy/thrash metal styled chugging riffs included on tracks that start off with a pure black metal section such as on Sacrilegious. Furthermore, the usage of acoustic guitars such as at the end of Dark Matter remind listeners of Watershed-era Opeth with the calm it evokes in the listener.

The drums on the album also seem to be one of the main focuses of the music, with drummer Pentele displaying his versatility, switching between different drumming patterns with ease, and also able to maintain the pace of the band on faster sections. In addition, on top of their similarity with fellow Finnish bands, they also draw inspirations from Norwegian bands with riffs on tracks such as Dark Clouds of Pestilence sounding like they could come off a Norwegian black metal record. The band also manages to display the emotions on tracks like Aokigahara, with the desperation in vocalist Raato's shrieking, backed by the trem-picked lines of guitarists Brutalust and Marchosias, and the ability to infuse such heavy emotions into the music is what makes a good band stand out from another one out just for the money.

The problem with Pure Negativity is its failure to capture the listener's attention on first listen, with the many different styles incorporated (while still remaining sufficiently black metal) leaving the listener disoriented for the first few listens. However, this album certainly takes time to grow on the listener, and after a couple of listens one then begins to appreciate the music more. Also, long track run times end up making some of the songs sound repetitive, causing the listener to gradually lose interest, such as on Dark Matter, and the album could have certainly be improved through the inclusion of more straightforward numbers. The cheesy chorus on the song serves only to further spoil the music, and the pinch-harmonics also sound awkward and out-of-place alongside the emotional melodies.

While the attempt to create more complex and interesting black metal is certainly commendable, more needs to be done by the band to catch the attention of listeners and fans of black metal. The excellent execution of the various instruments displays the capabilities of the individual members, and the band certainly has the potential in them, and I definitely look forward to future material from the band.

In the September of 2011, the Finish black metal band Graveborne presented the world with their latest album Pure Negativity. “Finish black metal” and “new album” are two phrases that black metal fans all over the world want to hear. Finish black metal definitely has the reputation for having a scene that has more “character” than the other scenes. I mean there are a crap load of infamous black metal bands that have come out of that area such as; Sargeist, Satanic Warmaster and Behexen (just to name a few). Now Graveborne has the massive task of trying to stand out from their Finish counterparts.

The blast beats and the sheer power of the music is introduced to the listener from the very beginning. It seems like Graveborne have tried their hardest to grab the attention of the listener from the very beginning. I must say, they have done that because there is something about the way that the music is introduced that made me seduced (see what I did there?).

The album opens up with some catchy guitar riffs which really sets the scene for the whole album. This alone makes people infer that these guys aren’t going for the grim feeling to the music, they are going for something more audacious and more adventurous than many other Finish black metal bands dare to go. Now this can be interpreted in two ways. Someone can come in with an open mind and hope for the best, or be disappointed because “that’s not how it‘s normally done!”. If you are going for option 2, you probably won’t enjoy this album because they aren’t going raw here. On the other hand, if you are more like the option 1 type of person, I think that this will be for you.

As I mentioned before, Graveborne doesn’t seem like the type of band that wants to go raw. Now Finish black metal is notorious for having some of the rawest of the raw in its scene, it almost seems like its part of Finish black culture. But if I had to describe Graveborne in a single phrase, I would say that they are like a folk version of Tsjuder. Although people might complain and say “But it’s nothing like Tsjuder!” yeah but if you were a Tsjuder fan, I anticipate that you would like Graveborne. They aren’t raw at all. Finally, black metal is coming out of the stone ages and into the modern ages. I’m not sure if this is what many black metal bands think but it just seems like many bands (especially underground bands) take pride in having bad recording to show off how kvlt and tr00 they are (did I use them correctly?). It feels good knowing that there are still bands like Graveborne out there who take pride in their recordings and choose not to record their music in a tin can.

I mentioned earlier that Graveborn have catchy guitar riffs. Well, now that I think of some more, Graveborne have really gone outside of the “black metal social norm” for their guitar work and music. The way I see it, is that there are two moods in this album. There is a high paced, black metal with slight folkish elements (which is almost standard issue for black metal artists nowadays) and the slower more chuggy style of music. I think that the combination is quite rare to find in black metal (or maybe I’m not listening to enough black metal). Either way, I think that it’s still an excellent combination and contrast to the music because it still flows like a good black metal song should.

The structure and atmosphere in this album is pretty decent as well. Usually black metal bands (especially older ones or ones who try to reproduce older bands) focus on one or the other, never both. And once again, Graveborne have done something slightly different from the rest. Their song structure is well done because there is no point during the songs that there is any feeling of blank spots. The best thing is that they also maintain their atmosphere and momentum throughout the music which is something is to stop the music from being too boring I’m guessing.

The only downside to this album is that they done really change any of their intents throughout the album. I mean, it seems like all the tracks on this album have a common objective which is to be fast, brutal and throw in some atmosphere. Although there are a few times when they have decided to change their structure and mood for a few seconds, this feeling of redundancy cannot be shook off for some reason.

Overall, this is quite a solid debut album from one of the most promising black metals bands I’ve heard in a while. It had more character and seems more ambitious than many other black metal bands out there today who are too scared to come out of the stone ages. Its bands like Graveborne who move black metal into the future while keeping the traditions their ancestors alive. It is quite evident that these guys are still influenced by the “elders” of black metal. This is type of black metal band that I would expect many people to fall in love with because I think that it would appeal to a wide audience (a wide black metal audience that is). I highly recommend this album to anyone out there who is even remotely into black metal bands such as Taake because this is right up your alley. I recommend the track Aokigahara for those who enjoy really fast black metal or for those looking for a little adventure, Dark Matter seems like a good place to start. Overall, this is quite an enjoyable album that is definitely going to have more plays in the future. I give Graveborne’s Pure Negativity a 16/20.