gravefields

Gravefields Practice "Psychoactive Rites"

gravefields

The market for straightforward death metal with a blackened twist has been strong for some time now, almost to the point where the key to success involves execution more than subgenre mishmashing. It’s very sensible to apply the atmosphere, layering, and cinematic intensity of black metal to the structure, weight, and density of death metal (or the other way around) — the potential drawback, though, is having too much going on for the listener to track. Really, it’s all about handling all that input. Hailing from Ireland, blackened death metal outfit Gravefields demonstrate the perfect balance of clean-cut riffing with thick, evocative atmospherics, right in line with what this blend of genres demands. Get a taste with an exclusive stream of the opening track from the band’s upcoming full-length Embrace the Void below.

“Psychoactive Rites” takes the philosophy of complex simplicity to heart: from the background melody which undergirds the introduction to the blasting which follows, there are a lot of moving parts, but each part retains crystal clarity. This helps define Gravefields’s edge, decisively sharp but nothing particularly dangerous to your ears (or sanity) — rather, while “Psychoactive Rites” (and Embrace the Void as a whole) attacks with grunt and gusto, this music doesn’t wear on your ears or cause mental fatigue. Leave it to the beat, perhaps — “Psychoactive Rites,” for instance, ends on a massive, swinging groove which helps solidify Gravefields as a band that can invigorate your mind as well as move your body.

Embrace the Void releases June 7th via Redefining Darkness Records.

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