It is hard not to be attracted at first sight by the beautiful and poetic artwork of this split. However not only is the split Grift / Saiva visually beautiful, but also interesting from a musical standpoint. It contains only two songs, one for each band, so there is not much to say; listen to it yourself with the player below and get your opinion.
The split begins with a rhythmic metallic sound, reminiscent of the beginning of “Leukes Renkespill” from Burzum’s album Belus, and then the melancholy melody of an accordion. It is “Skarprättaren” by Grift, a Swedish one-man band from Västra Gotland, Southern Sweden, started by Erik Gärdefors in 2011 that debuted in 2013 with the EP Fyra elegier.
The split begins with a rhythmic metallic sound, reminiscent of the beginning of “Leukes Renkespill” from Burzum’s album Belus, and then the melancholy melody of an accordion. It is “Skarprättaren” by Grift, a Swedish one-man band from Västra Gotland, Southern Sweden, started by Erik Gärdefors in 2011 that debuted in 2013 with the EP Fyra elegier.
The second song is “Sjiedvárre” by Saiva, Swedish act from Norrland, Northern Sweden, which debuted in 2013 with the EP Finnmarkens folk.
The split delivers true raw black metal with very gloomy atmospheres; the scream of Grift takes on depressive nuances, while Saiva’s clean vocals and choirs are more epic. Very fascinating is the underground feeling of this split, which is also very painstaking especially with regard to the artwork. My preference is for Grift, which I find more interesting; I think we haven’t heard the last of this act. A good reason to grab this split is that Grift’s song will not appear on the next album Syner. Recommended!
Notes:
Release date: January 30 2015 on Nordvis Produktion. The identity of Saiva is not known. Based on the regional provenience of the bands, the split consists of a Southern side (Syd) and a Northern side (Nord).
Tracklist:
Side A - Sida Syd
1. Grift - Skarprättaren
Side B - Sida Nord
2. Saiva - Sjiedvárre
Personnel:
Grift: Erik Gärdefors - vocals, all instruments.
Saiva: not known.
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
The split delivers true raw black metal with very gloomy atmospheres; the scream of Grift takes on depressive nuances, while Saiva’s clean vocals and choirs are more epic. Very fascinating is the underground feeling of this split, which is also very painstaking especially with regard to the artwork. My preference is for Grift, which I find more interesting; I think we haven’t heard the last of this act. A good reason to grab this split is that Grift’s song will not appear on the next album Syner. Recommended!
Notes:
Release date: January 30 2015 on Nordvis Produktion. The identity of Saiva is not known. Based on the regional provenience of the bands, the split consists of a Southern side (Syd) and a Northern side (Nord).
Tracklist:
Side A - Sida Syd
1. Grift - Skarprättaren
Side B - Sida Nord
2. Saiva - Sjiedvárre
Personnel:
Grift: Erik Gärdefors - vocals, all instruments.
Saiva: not known.
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com