Grift / Saiva - Skarprättaren / Sjiedvárre

GRIFT / SAIVA - Skarprättaren / Sjiedvárre (NORDVIS Produktion - split 10" 2015)

A blind buy that turns into a real jewel – can there be anything better? I bought this split 10”LP without knowing much about both bands, but when I played it for the first time I really was intrigued and pleasantly surprised. Both bands really did killer job on their part and both songs are amazing in my opinion! What bands am I talking about? They’re both Swedish and are Grift and Saiva. Both had only EPs released prior to this split (Grift with “Fyra elegier” and Saiva with “Finnmarkens folk”, released on Nordvis Produktion) and I definitely have to grab copies of them also, as I am very, very eager to hear more of such excellent stuff.

Both Swedish bands play black metal that reminds me some Norwegian bands from the 90’s like Kampfar, Satyricon, Taake, Ulver, even Burzum and Isengard, etc, so quite folky, melodic, epic, but harsh black metal that creates great cold atmosphere and is so damn catchy that you play these songs over and over again. Of course we can add also some newer bands as comparison – Skogen, Stilla, Dråpsnatt, Domgård, Hermóðr and more. Doesn’t matter. The point is that both bands have impressed me so much that they’re like the best discovery in black metal that I’ve made in many months.

So, first we have “Skarprättaren” by Grift. This song begins fantastically, with accordion that plays a nice, sorrowful, mesmerizing melody which will become the main theme of the whole song. The structure of this track is quite easy and maybe even obvious, but despite that, it is still very, very nice song. Accordion theme rapidly transforms into harsh, melodic black metal with great, screaming vocals and mid paced, slow, up to fast tempos, so it’s fantastic, very diverse and powerful, memorable piece. And Grift immediately captures my attention and doesn’t let go even for a second. Once “Skarprättaren” is over, I play it again. And again.

And I thought that Saiva can’t be any better… but they are! Fuck, their “Sjiedvárre” is 10 minutes long masterpiece and maybe it’s pointless to say that one song is better than the other, if both are so extremely killer, but Saiva came up with a perfect epic, folky black metal. They have everything in “Sjiedvárre” that I love in this sort of black metal. There are awesome clean and harsh vocals, great melodies, icy cold, powerful aura, aggression and riffs that sound like Ulver on their black metal records. What a fantastic stuff, wowweee! I want more!!!!

So, can someone please takes this 10” vinyl from me away please, so I can start listening to something else, not just these two bands over and over again? Damn, I love this release, it is maybe even the best split of 2015 in my opinion. So, I have to now find more stuff from both bands, this is a must for me.

Final rate: 95/100