GRAVDAL

Formed in 2005 by guitarist Phobos (AETERNUS, MALSAIN) and drummer Taakesjel (BIZARREKULT), GRAVDAL is a Black Metal band firmly rooted in Norway’s legendary Bergen Scene. A scene that over the years has spawned such seminal bands as GOROGOROTH, ENSLAVED, IMMORTAL and TRELLDOM – to name but a few.

Starting out initially with the idea of remaining a studio band, GRAVDAL recruited vocalist Galge and recorded the first demo, “Massegrav” in 2005. However, shortly after the release of “Massegrav, it became obvious to the members that they wanted more from their music, and so a full line up was established with the addition of Specter (AETERNUS) on guitars and Daud on bass. Specter and Phobos began composing music together and with a now solid line up GRAVDAL hit the stage for the first time in 2006, and have since played with bands like TAAKE and DERIDE, and recently supported GORGOROTH on their European tour and have played at both the Inferno and Hole in the Sky Festivals.

With their debut album “Sadist” mixed and mastered by ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen at the Conclave and Earshot Studios in Bergen, GRAVDAL inked a deal with Sweden’s Unexploded Records, and “Sadist” was released in 2008 to great reviews in the metal press world-wide.

So what should you expect from GRAVDAL? Well, the band performs “in your face” Black Metal; with lyrics that take as their theme the tragedy of a weak-willed humanity, and the despair into which it sinks due to its conceited misconceptions.

But that is not the sum total of GRAVDAL by any stretch of the imagination. The 2010 release of the band’s sophomore album “Torturemantra” revealed the band’s new-found maturity in terms of both material and performance, and a guest appearance by SHINING’s Niklas Kvarforth confirmed GRAVDAL’s ability to surprise and innovate, whilst still remaining solidly grounded in the Black Metal Genre.