Grandier - The Scorn And Grace Of Crows (Album Review)

Release Date: 18th November 2022. Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Scorn And Grace Of Crows: Tracklisting

Sin World

Viper Soul

Soma Goat

The Crows Will Following Us Down

Smoke On The Bog

Moth To The Flames

My Church Of Let It All Go

Members:

Patrik Lidfors - Guitars

Lars Carlberg - Vocals

Review

Swedish Psych Doom/Stoner Metallers Grandier showcase their own blend of LOW & SLOW style of WEEDIAN  sounds on their debut album The Scorn And Grace Of Crows. Taking that familiar Black Sabbath template of FUZZY and DISTORTED DOOM and merging it with that Psych Stoner Metal sound the Swedish Underground Scene is known for. Grandier has a more theatrical delivery to their music especially with the vocals and lyrical content.

The album contains seven tracks all exploring the more gloomier aspect of the underground scene. Opening song Sin World is a slightly Progressive based track with the band playing a DISTORTED and FUZZ based number with a slow-paced style of music allowing Grandier to play extended grooves and jams to get their wicked style of music across. More Doom based than anything with a trippy Occult vibe appearing near the end of the song.

Second song Viper Soul is another atmospheric dark tale from Grandier with echoes of gloomy FUZZ and long drawn out WEEDIAN passages. The vocals have that Operatic Doom based feeling but still having that classic modern day Swedish Underground mentality within the creative themes of the song. There's a distinctive Seventies Classic Doom Rock flavour within this track that works in a seductive way when matched with the LOW & SLOW and AMPLIFIER based grooves. This song sees Grandier play a faster style of music with a cool Post-Stoner or Post-Doom psych based effect that allows their music to have modern day appeal.

Third song Soma Goat carries on the magical Doom/Stoner Metal riff worship heard on the previous two tracks but with more modern occult and trippy based sound. The vocals have a less is more approach which allows the music and distorted rhythms dictate the action. Though, the vocals have a major chance to shine during the slower parts of the song. The lyrics are poetry in places that easily draws the listener into Grandier's dark world. Taking influence and cues from bands of the legendary Seventies Doom scene, this is perhaps the standout track on the album.

The remaining four songs (The Crows Will Following Us Do, My Church Let It All Go, Moth To The Flames And Smoke On The Bog) on the album sees Grandier play heavier and melodic songs that's packed full of sublime Psych Stoner Metal extended jams and intense Doom Metal atmospherics. This is where Grandier fully loses themselves within the bold creative choices they make for this album. Swirling Atmospherics are used to great effect especially on The Crows Will Following Us Do which I didn't expect for an album such as this.

The heaviest sounds of the record do appear on this part of the album. The vocals become a bit more direct and nuanced with the bleak lyrical content that Grandier has written for the album.

Grandier are another band signed to ace record label Majestic Mountain Records who are getting a brilliant and well deserved reputation in bringing the best bands from the Nordic/Scandanavian Doom/Stoner Metal scene to a wider audience.

However, this is Grandier's show and The Scorn And Grace Of Crows is a wonderfully dark and vivid album that packs quite an emotional punch from start to finish. This is an album that will easily find an audience within both the Classic Doom Metal and  modern day Psych Stoner Metal scenes. There's an undeniable addictive energy to Grandier's music that will last long in the memory.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR and Majestic Mountain Records Viral for the promo. 

The Scorn And Grace Of Crows is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Majestic Mountain Records

Links:

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Doom Metallers Grandier Premiering Their New Song VIPER SOUL From Upcoming New Album

Album artwork by Thomas Moe Ellefsrud

Viper Soul,’ the second single from Grandier’s upcoming album ‘The. Grace and Scorn of Crows,’ gives us another hefty peak into what to expect from the heavy rocking Swedish trio’s expansively compelling album due out on the 18th of November.

Grandier presents us with a rich and exorbitantly crawling style of epic doom metal with ambling heaviness and a unique, commanding vocal style at its core.

‘Viper Soul’ boasts a punishingly measured largesse which borders on irrefutable swagger with gigantic metallic riffs, hard-hitting drums and. beastly, bounding basslines.

The trademark melodic, melancholic vocals of vocalist Lars Carlberg feed us treacherously into a morosely. gripping and deep-diving free fall. towards a bleak world of dark vibrato.

Grandier then turns the pace and mood halfway through the track with a lush atmospheric uptick ushering us into a creeping twilight of sorts,. from a dusty crypt of contemptuous guitar solos and ceremonially languorous tempos aside crashing rhythm, carefully constructed composition and powerful lyrics inspired by literature and arcane. history, ironically mirroring the satire of today’s existence.

The band tells us that 'Viper Soul' swings low into themes of darkness surrounding that one person we all know who always starts or gets into fights, lashing out, always seeming to bring "bad mojo" to any situation and all around them. Yet there is an urge to understand what it’s like inside the head of that person because we can all manifest as that same person sometimes without admitting or understanding the consequence of our actions. There's much more to the story, but we will leave it there and let the music do the talking."

Thanks to the honourable Steve Howe at Outlaws Of The Sun. 

We’re able to present you the worldwide premiere and peek of the album artwork from Hypnotist Design ahead of the album’s official release.

Give it a listen and prepare for indoctrination in the rites of Grandier!

Photo by Robert Lamu

Grandier are:

Patrik Lidfors
Lars Carlberg
Hampus Landin

Recorded at Gramtone Studio, Norrköping.
Mixed at Studio Heathen, Vikbolandet
Mastered by Esben Willems at Studio Berserk

Album artwork by Thomas Moe Ellefsrud (Hypnotist. Design)

Thanks to Vesper at Majestic Mountain Records for the details. 

Links

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Psych Doom/Stoner Rockers GRANDIER Premiere New Song My Church Of Let It All Go From Upcoming Album via Majestic Mountain Records

Swedish Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Rockers GRANDIER will be releasing their highly anticipated debut album with Majestic Mountain Records in September 2022.

You can experience the stunning new single My Church Of Let It All Go which gives you a great indication on what to expect from the upcoming debut album.

Majestic Mountain Records · Grandier - My Church Of Let It All Go

The band have said this about the new single:

“This song is the last remnant of a theme album that we started out with, back when the band was formed. We had some nice, straigthforward heavy riffs and a lot of inspiration from Eywind Johnsons novel, that ended up as demos. Some years later, when we were wrapping up the work for the first proper album, we gave the song another try. 

Urbain Grandier was a catholic priest, burned at the stake in 1634 after being convicted of witchcraft. More likely, he was victim of political persecution and a good dose of collective hysteria. He did write some scorching satire, mocking the mighty cardinal Richelieu, though. He wasn’t that keen on celibacy, either. The Priest - perhaps he is you, perhaps he is me - is waiting in his cell, the last one. He knows that nothing matters, things are as FUBAR as always. Dogma no longer holds, if it ever did. Just let it all go. Let it pass. There’ll be no redemption. Only screaming people, lies and fire. All you can do is to laugh in the face of power, and stay humble.”

Thanks to Vesper at Majestic Mountain Records for all of the details.

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