On December 6th internationally, PURITY THROUGH FIRE is proud to present the highly anticipated third album of Sweden's GREVE, Bleknat Bortom Evig Tid, on CD format. The vinyl version will follow in the new year.
Since bursting from the void in 2019, GREVE have become a gold standard for classic, second-wave Swedish black metal seemingly decades removed from anything resembling modernity. Which should come as little surprise given that GREVE were yet another band helmed by Ancient Records linchpin Swartadauþuz (BEKËTH NEXËHMÜ, GNIPAHÅLAN, Musmahhu, Trolldom, Daudadagr, Secrets et. al.). Much like most / all of Swartadauþuz's projects are blessed with an intrinsically ancient sound, so, too, did GREVE with a breathtakingly spectral 'n' stargazing style of black metal mysticism, displayed in full-length form first on 2019's Nordarikets Strid and then 2022's Föllo af Svavel, Lifvets Dimridå.
Dependably, when that modernity begins to become too suffocating, Swartadauþuz returns - now with GREVE's third full-length, Bleknat Bortom Evig Tid. With Korgath joining him on vocals for the second straight record, GREVE continue to push their sound to the hinterlands of their imagination - and even deeper into the past. Whereas its towering predecessor wielded both beauty and menace in a denser and more-aggressive soundfield, Bleknat Bortom Evig Tid surges and decelerates to a more skeletal and yet somehow-more-immediate framework. To be sure, this is the clearest GREVE have sounded to date, with a crisp and sparkling soundfield heightening that skeletal aspect; also to be sure, Swartadauþuz's songwriting has rarely been this concise and compact, even when still stretched to eight minutes per song, nor has his melodicism held such a yearning quality. This lateral development pays off in spades, serving to expand the GREVE world whilst keeping their core values intact. Where labyrinths once unfolded into ever more labyrinths, Bleknat Bortom Evig Tid offers the listener wide-open spaces and a direct path to the horizon: Atmospheric Black Metal Art (Exclusively) for dreamers and lone wolves alike!
Lineup
Korgath - vocals
Swartadauthuz - guitars & keyboards
Release notes
All music written January 2023 by Swartadauthuz, except "16 Vingar..."
Lyrics written by Lik, except "En sista Färd" written by Korgath
Session bass by Sortilege
Session drums by J.H.
Recorded at NM studios and at The Empty Hall Studio 2023/2024
Mixed and mastered by Simon Da Silva at The Empty Hall
Front cover and layout by Swartadauthuz
Back photo taken by Korgath
Tracklisting
1. Till Striden...
2. Livets Fjätter Brista
3. Nektar av Dödens Gift
4. I Dunkel Poesi
5. En Sista Färd
6. 16 Vingar...
7. Bleknat Bortom Evig Tid
8. Efter Stormen...
