Grift
Syner
Nordvis
September 28th, 2015
I adore emotional music. It doesn’t seem to be a double-sided love however, as too much emotions contained in music can easily have a massive impact on myself. Grift, being my fresh discovery, managed to capture the calamitous spirit of negativity and release the debut album – Syner. Is this the best depressive album this year?
I was recently trying to find a depressive black metal band which would provoke the right emotions. This kind of outfit which is capable of expressing certain thoughts. Grift has recently been a revelation for me on many levels. My indicator showing the amount of passion and genuine ardency has gone out of scale after listening to Syner. Being a one-man project led by Erik Gärdefors, Grift is an example of the creation immediately finding its comfortable position – it is very defined in terms of sound and concept which, I think, makes it easier to receive it correctly.
But is it all about emotions? I don’t really want to get involved into the old clichés but it must be said that Grift is a perfect combination of talent and devotion. Erik is not a newcomer to the scene and it is easy to tell when you listen to his new offspring. The skill is brought to light with nicely composed and elongated passages that determine the album’s structure. The balance of melody and the atmospheric blasts is a undeniable advantage of the record making it very pure and uniform. Piano overtones add a little bit more artistic character and Erik’s vocals are just filled with agony and painful misery. The whole album is very rich and it does not seem to be lacking anything in my eyes.
Svältorna, as my definite favourite on Syner, is a kind of song that encapsulates you entirely, making you completely numb and insensible to any external impulses. The melody, combined with the great video for the song, makes me feel relaxed but agitated – the paradox which can be a common denominator for many listeners. I think that I haven’t had a similar feeling since I had heard Konkurs from Lifelover several years ago. Grift might be exploring different musical regions than Lifelover, however the latter has been my symbol of disconsolate emotions for years now.
Now, when my beloved Lifelover is put to rest in terms of creative work, I place my hope in Grift. Those might be the strong words, but after hearing Syner I can be unconcerned of some statements. Not much conclusion is needed after all, Syner is a self-explanatory album. I am sure that it is a vivid indication of Erik’s potential for the future releases.
THE GOAT TAVERN 