Dan Klein - Drums, guitar, bass, vocals
RIchard Olsen - Lead guitar, solos
Ed Escamilla - guest vocal on 'Tenets of Blade and Bone'
Proscriptor McGovern - Vocals on 'Infinite Waves of Illness Within the Numinous Chantry of Ruin'
Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Dan Klein at Iron Hand Audio in Chicago, IL
Cover art by Adam Burke. Comes in a jewel case with an 8 pages booklet and a picture printed CD
Gravelust released "Passage to End" on February 2022 as their debut album, but they sound like a band that has been playing for a long time together. The Icelandic black metal scene somehow influences this album and it also seems to be part of the sometimes called third wave of black metal and as such is a glorious and monumental exponent of this wave: the production is crisp, the songs were well written as structured, there are spectacular and fun guitar solos throughout the record, there's also atmosphere, inspired lyrics, killer drums, an audible and supporting bass, and all these elements clash in an album of monolithic proportions. It's as epic as dark. The cover art matches perfectly the music of the record and illustrates the journey the band has prepared for the listener. But before we continue I have to mention that the absolute highlight of this opus is the guitar work, the riffing, melodic parts, solos, arpeggios, tremolos, and every single note the guitars play are brilliant, this is the instrument that holds the record together in an obscure, aggressive an evil fashion.
One thing that stands out immediately is the production, it is powerful and in favor of the music, the sound of the drums is of a war machine, and the bass has its spot and works towards melody and rhythm, never getting in the way, but never lost in the mix, either. For some songs, the band uses chants aided by some guests, but the result is a wall of sound that creates mythic and epic melodies, harsh and clean vocals were written and performed superbly, giving the album an aura of mysticism and magic long lost in black metal these days. The drumming provided by multi-instrumentalist Dan Klein is herculean and vigorous, at times empowering the melody, at times crushing the rhythm, and in particular, on occasions stealing some moments, the same could be said of his performance as a vocalist.
Both band members understand each other and this can be found in the rich and colossal guitar work throughout the album. As you listen to "Passage to the End" you get beleaguered by great, after great riff, impressive after impressive guitar solos, and superb idea after another. There is not a second wasted from start to finish, the debut of Gravelust is indeed glorious and monumental. We start brutally with "Tenets of Blade and Bone" an epic war song with nasty-evil riffs, unexpected but brilliant and appropriate solos, a relentless drum, and a mythical atmosphere, this song sets the expectations for the rest of the record, pretty high, because terrific execution needs terrific song-writing and the band is a professional duo that delivers in every aspect of their work, hence the opening track never ceases to amaze, you get this powerful feeling of battle and death, and suddenly this epic and magical moment arrives with the line: Gravelust decay, moonlight on crimson blades, defiant you now lead the pack ATTACK!, "Attack...! attack...!" and the already arrogant opener of the album elevates itself to another realm with this pinnacle moment of black metal grandiose, it is reminiscent of the most complex moments of the second wave but also of the work of the Viking era Bathory, it gets furious and also heroic and glorious. This moment of heroism is enhanced by a magnificent solo that is there not to shine but to support the feeling and images the band wanted to create along with the lyrics. The song is an instant hook and you are thirsty for more.
Most albums tend to fall after a great opener and the next song never reaches the same quality to keep the listener interested, but this is not the case with Gravelust's debut, the next song brings a particular sound right away, it is black metal, but it's bright and big, but never happy or uplifting, rather sounds like a golden legend of old, medieval and fantastic "Admonished Decay and the Somnolent Swain" reminded me of the masterpiece "Hünengrab im Herbst" by German demigods Nagelfar and also brought memories of Ukrainian monsters Drudkh in a solid and unique way, and that is no easy task; the song grows on you because it is familiar yet new, it made me think a lot about black metal and its evolution and musical tools over time, again the guitars reign tyrannically but for good reason, creating slyly, little by little this enormous crescendo of fantastic melodies of twilight, forest and forgotten heroes. The band really knew what they were doing and enjoyed it in the process, the result is a fresh spin on the genre that pays homage to the past by looking directly to new horizons without a trace of doubt. Every single song —which oscillates between 5 to 7 minutes— has its own strengths and highlights and even when they all are part of the entity called Passage to the End each one of them has something to differentiate itself, whether it is the amazing riffs found on "Vanished in the Grey", or the catchy and razor-sharp "Gravelust" song with memorable and headbanging moments and personal —yet cosmic— lyrics, and I cannot help myself but to mention that the progression of this song is very impressive, starts in a very specific way and it deforms and mutates to something completely different through its length, that brings the sensation of a journey of sorts, it's a spectacular and a dignifying anthem for the band, everything that makes this album stand out is present in this tremendous song. "Black Flame Precept" and "Howling in Conflagration" are two of the strongest demons this hell of an album has to offer, at this point on the album the atmosphere gets darker, we left behind the tales of old and we enter the lugubrious cave presented in the art cover, all hope is gone and the shadows take over. Both songs are filled with tremendous riffing and frantic drums, the vocals become fittingly more cavernous and enigmatic, and the music the guitars build is macabre and oppressive in a diabolical fashion. The latter track is more melancholic but also more aggressive at times, maddening how the band is capable of such compositions, also I love the classic approach to the guitar solo in this song.
However, toward the end of the release, we reach my absolute favorite, the demonic and chaotic "Abhorrents from Beyond the Reach" where the drums steal the show at least for a brief moment, but enough to grab you to the abyss. This song is the music for the painting on the back of the physical copy: the colossal and indifferent mountains at the end of the world, far away from the sun. This is a brutal and punishing black metal song that takes itself, its music, and its lyrics, seriously and the result is impressive, to say the least, in just five minutes Gravelust delivers a lesson in using the strengths of the genre apart from coldness and atmosphere, from the guitar work to the dynamic percussions to the vocal execution this song is merciless, full of evil rhythms and melodies, ghostly voices in the background invoke the image of a graveyard in the underworld, but the violent and bestial music triumphs over the horrors, offering instead diabolic riffs and hellish passages. The album closes as hard as it started, restless the band strikes us with a final blow: "Infinite Waves of Illness Within the Numinous Chantry of Ruin", instead of slowing down for the closing track, Gravelust explodes in pure hate and anger with this one, the heavier song of this entity is also one of the best examples of what makes this band elevate itself above its contemporaries: Gravelust doesn't follow a formula, it leaves its compositions to breathe and to take the horrific and aberrant form they want and need, and it's magnificent! The end of the album demands a new listen, because it is impossible to digest this monolithic collection of dark music at once, but it is not a chore or a task it is a need. This record is that good.
Do not let a masterful work such as "Passage to the End" pass by. This is a must-have album for any black metal enthusiast, the physical copy made by Drakkar Productions is exquisite for collectors; high-quality printing and an elegant booklet match the quality of the music, making this a full and whole work. This record is an achievement in the genre, it is fresh, familiar, dark, epic, and monumental, a highlight in a year full of titanic releases, we cannot but wait to see what the band will bring in the future, but its debut it is indeed an ode to the black metal fallen.
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