Griftegård - Solemn, Sacred, Severe

Genre: Doom Metal

Country: Sweden

Year: 2009

Label: Ván Records

Here we have a great old-school style epic doom metal band from Sweden. Solemn, Sacred, Severe has a cavernous atmosphere with big, slow, heavy riffs to back it up. The vocals are on the theatrical side of the spectrum, singer Thomas Eriksson wailing in a very emotive, expressive tone that truly suits the music. His voice is one of the high points of the album, adding a lot to the feelings of gloom and solitude invoked by the slow, sombre guitar work. This is definitely an album that requires a certain mood in which to listen to it, but when you're in said mood, it really, really hits the spot. If you don't enjoy Solemn, Sacred, Severe during your first listen, set it aside and come back to it later. You might be surprised at how much of a difference the proper setting can make for this doom gem.

For fans of Candlemass, Reverend Bizarre, and Isole.

Solemn, Sacred, Severe