I have been looking for some different sounding albums in my promos (Did enough of technical metal already!) Among the haystack, discovering some unknown band is always a bitter-sweet moment. This is somewhat the story of me encountering with Ohio based Jötunn, who just dropped their debut album "Graveworshipper" this month, and here I am discussing about it.
The album opener "Lessons in Reviving the Dead" starts off with dissonance, quickly flowing into a lethal mix of death metal and hardcore. The high screams with hardcore phrasings specially sound insane. Mixed in all this are the symphonic elements in the catchy chorus, elevating the listening experience further. "A New World" begins with a pompous opening, switching over to blasting rapid drums and melody based guitar leads on top. Guitar riffs consisting of chugs often transition into breakdown in the style of deathcore. Track like "Isolation Piece" is reminiscent of the early 2000s metalcore and deathcore hybrid - face melting riffs in verse with catchy chorus, with harmonising vocals layering. Also, add some chest-thumping breakdown at the end to start the moshpit! "Infinite Stalker" features some rapid chaotic entry, with yet some catchy melodious hooks again (These guys are masters at writing melodious choruses), ending with a melancholic soundscape of clean guitars and piano (I guess!)
"Dissolve" leads to the second-half of the album with a long ethereal intro, consisting of clean guitar chords with elements of mayhem adding to it with passing seconds. A rather extreme style of songwriting can be seen, with more dissonance added to the riffs and vocals in the style of Black Metal. "Until the Light leaves your Eyes" has a sludgy-doomy vibe to it, which definitely forces you to make the Meshuggah face! Want some As I Lay Dying-type buildup ? Well you have the track "Leechling". The album closure "Guttural Gaze" shows some dynamic changes, with more technical and bouncy riffs, while vocals pushing it to a level of insane highs. All facets of the album come together in this song, including a melodious guitar solo ending the track.
With "Graveworshipper", Jötunn captures the vibe of both the realms of metalcore and deathcore simultaneously, even borrowing elements from neighbouring genres like hardcore and death metal. (Can't ignore the melodious guitar solos in several tracks - definitely a stand out element.) The production being superior, captures the overall dynamic of the album - You can even realise the band had a great time recording it! In a time of mind-numbingly saturated technical metal, the boys from Jötunn put out a record which seems like a breath of fresh air, and definitely stands out as a memorable record for the upcoming days.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Website: https://www.facebook.com/TheJotunnBand
Genre: Metalcore, Melodic Deathcore
Worldwide Release: February 1st, 2022.
