Genre: Black Metal
Label: Satanath Records
Line Up:
Gloomy Grim, a Helsinki quartet in "business" since 1995, aspire to the role of top band of the second Finnish Black Metal wave and, with this seventh studio album, "Agathonomicon", produced by the very active Russian label Satanath Records in collaboration with the Italian Murndher Records, the goal seems to be getting closer and closer. The vibrations transmitted by the ritualistic bells of "Invitation" introduce us to listening to an album that aims to be a catalyst for dark and disturbing atmospheres, a powerful sound that projects us on this mystical journey.
In each note, the instrumental expertise of the band members emerges, musicians who have behind them important participations in well-known bands of the scene, such as Thy Serpent and Barathrum. The quality of each piece is remarkable, powerful in "The Hermetic", direct and sharp in "Master Inside", hypnotic and gloomy in "Third Eye Opening", evocative and intense in the Nordic sounds of "They are Waiting". The backbone of Gloomy Grim is the excellent guitarist Micko Hell, able to express himself in different styles and therefore to give each song a strong personality: in "Conjunction to the Ground", for example, he develops a melodic riffing, but with the right aggression!
The work done by the rhythmic base consisting of Nuklear Tormentorr on bass and AstroNuclear Agitator on drums is also excellent, effective both on the classic blast-beats and on the more reasoned and structured parts.
"Blood, Monsters, Darkness" is the best song of this album, the most influenced by old school Death Metal; Agathon, voice, and synths, with his screaming, reinforce the sense of restlessness conveyed by the song, the vision of a nefarious horizon that appears ever clearer but, suddenly, is hidden again at sunset.
Fulvio J.K
