Gravdal - Sadist (2008)

   Even though traditional Norwegian black metal have quite strict rules, there are some bands who are not really trying to keep all of them like if it was a must. There have been a few examples for that even in the golden age of the genre, but lately the motivation have changed too: the point is not to create something new, that's nearly impossible; but to show a different perspective and to be more creative.
   Very familiar themes and sound are waving back from Gravdal's music, as their approach enroots at the basics of the local scene, but still it's somehow different. The sound is way cleaner than at the old classics of black metal, and therefore the atmosphere have secondary role. Melodies and themes are in focus, and not even the ordinary fast black metal hammering parts can't take their lead. It sounds like balance could have been the keyword while "Sadist" was created. The themes are diverse, and the band also preferred to switch the speed commonly if it was needed to sound more effective. The traditional blackened themes are always returning in some form. It could be said that it's an experimenting album, but it's enough unified to not mean it literally. It sounds like the result of something that they've worked on since a while. The album is quite short, basically doesn't sound so deviant as the title and the visuals might suspect, but it can offer enjoyable entertainment for both the fans of ordinary black metal and the fans of the modern aspect of the genre.