GRAVEN SIN
GRAVEN SIN “Veil of the Gods”
By Iron Sheik
Call them heavy metal. Call them doom metal. Call them pristine. Call them classic. Don't call them wimpy though. New Finnish band GRAVEN SIN are splitting ears with their debut album “Veil Of The Gods”. It is a classic sounding album from a new band. GRAVEN SIN's music is steeped in the stylings of MANOWAR in their stomp, DEEP PURPLish keyboards throughout, choir-esque vocals reminiscent of older CANDLEMASS, Celtic touches here and there, and yet their album “Veil Of The Gods” is a fresh sounding masterpiece. GRAVEN SIN arrive sounding like a well oiled band with a history behind them, yet they are new to the scene.
“Veil Of The Gods” never relents or surrenders to norms. It is heavy metal. It is doom metal. They are a trio. Full of excellent vocals via Nicholas Leptos, guitar and bass via Ville Pystynen, and holder of the bottom end Ville Markanen on drums. I am not sure who played the keys as no one is credited anywhere I looked. In any event “Veil Of The Gods” arrives as a well polished modern day masterpiece, one for the ages.
Galloping out of the gates opening track “The Morrigan” charges out at six minutes. The seer of doom, sisters, the triad, guardians, goddess... those are some of things sung about that give a great indication of their style of lyrics. “From The Shadows” continues the uptempo pace. “Sorrow and despair/ pain, in the mirror you will find /what you always had inside,/I'll be the one they remember”. It is a contender for my one of my favorite tracks. “The Scarlet Night” delivers a slightly different view of the doom(ed): “I will never leave you/ I will never cause you pain/She's The Scarlet Night”. A guitar solo segues into a mash up of male and female vocals that sound otherworldy. “As The Erinyes Emerge” brings us to the end. Beginning as a plodding piece it builds in intensity being led by some kickass heavy riffing and a subtle solo. There are ethereal atmospherics all throughout the song. After more heavy riffing and some more ethereal atmospherics it ends leaving you wanting more.
My overall favorite track is track four “She Who Rules Niflheim”. Beginning drenched in ethereal atmospherics. Lyrically the song is “From the depths of hell/She's a wolf/Evil incarnate”. An intensity of keyboard washes ala DEEP PURPLE style with quite the intense guitar solo. Weakest track of the album is “Bloodbones” as it is too repetitious causing the song to really go nowhere.
GRAVEN SIN's “Veil Of The Gods” arrived as an unknown, and at first glance as a potential album I did not think was going to be to my liking. I am not sure why, but I was pleasantly surprised. It smoulders. It gallops. It's so fresh, so new, so pristine in it's sound. Never once do they mimic any of their influences. Instead they distill those influences and play them as an homage. Their is nothing at all bad about the album. Even the weakest track is good. “Veil Of The Gods” is easily up their as one of the best releases of 2023.