Graveland - Spears of Heaven (2009)

Lyrically this is standard Viking battle stuff, venerating Wotan and reveling in ancient temples and lost magics. Graveland has been around for over fifteen years now, but honestly this is my first exposure to them. The biggest problem that I have with black metal is that there is so much of it, so many one man outfits like Graveland's Rob Darken producing huge catalogues of music.

There is likely not enough time to properly enjoy it all. That being said his latest release Spears of Heaven is worth your time if you like the genre. What really stands out for me is the drumming. It is furious and lays down a rhythm that is ever marching forward. After a nice sampled chorus intro to the title track, the album builds up momentum that only relents in the last track. That last song "Return to the Northern Carpathian" pulls back the ferocity for the first four or five minutes to focus on the atmosphere. It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the album though and I'd probably skip it on replays.

Besides that last segment the synths are generally used to great effect, albeit sparingly. Like in "When Valkyries Come" they provide a nice hook, but in "Sun Wind" they build atmosphere before gradually giving way to the pounding rhythms.

I find it hard to differentiate between individual songs on many of these one-man black metal albums, but there is enough variety in the riffs to hold up interest across the albums 55 minutes. It is a solid piece in an crowded genre. Worth a listen if you've exhausted the latest from your favorite bedroom black metal artists.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.graveland.org