Send "Bergraven " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 For the edge of metal's map, consult Hydra Head Records. The L.A.-via-Boston label started out in New Mexico in the 1990s bending the rules of hardcore punk with bands like Converge, Cave In, Coalesce, and Botch. About five years ago, Hydra Head began taking on metal. Influential acts like Jesu, Khanate, and Xasthur have stretched metal's boundaries. Now metal includes the fuzzy, the broken, and the weak-- characteristics antithetical to traditional metal (precise, constructed, strong). In short, Hydra Head metal is art metal. Purists hate it for abandoning metal culture. In place of the metal uniform (black shirts, blue denim) is an array of pastel colors. Goodbye, spikes and leather; hello, trucker hats. Those who like loud guitars but are scared of metalheads can get with Hydra Head.On one hand, the label's metal is a diluted kind. Few things are as powerful as pure, uncut metal, whether it be death metal, doom metal, black metal, or thrash. These subgenres have had decades to work out ideal formulations. But purity can come from fence-sitting if that is an artist's nature. Sweden's Bergraven, a one-man band by Pär Gustafsson, is one example. Its debut, 2004's Fördärv, didn't know whether to be black metal or something else. The record's black metal was serviceable, but stray codas and preludes suggested a predilection for psychedelia. Three years later, follow-up Dödsvisioner embraced such duality. Bergraven turned into sort of a dark rock act. Elements of black metal, like raspy vocals and raw guitars, remained, but clean tones and bent melodies weaved throughout. Unlike much of black metal, the band had an identity....full text |
| Insound |
| Till Makabert Vasen, Par Gustafsson's third full-length as Bergraven, is like raising a kid and then having to be big enough to recognize when that same kid is better than you at running, shooting, rafting, gathering, football americano, sleding, oki noodling, and chicks. Till Makabert Vasen, well encapsulates the mood/progressive nature of Dodsvisioner (Bergraven's previous full-length) and takes it one step further. This time with a more diverse range of vocal treatments and a masterful approach to overall song structure. On Till Makabert Vasen, Par perfected his already unique rendering of Nordic chants and vehement growls. Though, the real genius is in Par's ability to give you just enough room to breath before elegantly knocking the wind right out of you. Only someone like Par, someone wholly proficient in all the necessary instruments, could do so in such a way that you know you can't be mad at the guy after the fact. I 'heart' Bergraven and if you possess anything in the way of good taste so will you....full text |
| Musicalwarfare |
| Bergraven’s new album “Till Makabert Väsen,” the follow-up to 2007’s “Dödsvisioner” is scheduled to be released June 23rd on Hydra Head Records. Since Hydra Head seems to be busy promoting all their trendy sludge and post-metal bands, Bergraven’s new album hasn’t seen much press so far. If “Till Makabert Väsen” is anything like their previous release, it should at least end up being one of the more unique listens of 2009. Bergraven’s MySpace page has a sample track ‘Asketens enda prydnad’ from the new album up for streaming. You can also check out short samples of all the tracks on Amazon MP3. Sounds like it should be along the same lines as “Dödsvisioner” - experimental black metal with lots of moody acoustic passages....full text |
Bergraven lyrics
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