8th December 2024

Review: “I Am Your Bane” by Boreal Grave

While Finland maybe synonymous with Melodic Death Metal and Folk Metal, it’s not a place from which you might expect to hear a band claim Technical Deathcore as their sound. Seinäjoki based five piece Boreal Grave have other ideas and cutting against the grain offer debut record “I Am Your Bane” as evidence it can be done. A harrowing journey into the depths of human emotion, it was recorded at the bands rehearsal space before being mixed and mastered by Diego Fernandez (Liberatia, Eye Of Horus, Juliet Ruin) at Oracle Studios. Six tracks delve into the darker sides of life and profound feelings in a way that they claim leaves no one untouched, so what does that sound like?

Foregoing any kind of build up and going straight for the jugular with throat shredding vocals from Henri Puoliväli-Oksala within the first second, Boreal Grave hit you with baseball bat of a wake-up call as “Loathe” takes shape. A heavy hitter on an equally heavy hitting subject matter, it explores the dark consequences of bullying, depicting both the victim’s pain and the despair of loved ones trying to intervene. Spine juddering angular riffs fly in all directions with odd timed pause breaks and haunting lead moments being exactly what the edge of the seat was made for. The audio equivalent of being trapped in a waking nightmare from which there is no escape, it pummels you into submission in disorientating fashion. That is something which works incredibly well because your brain is constantly playing catch up as moments of nuance you just didn’t hear are there for the next spin. If you thought that melancholia was a requirement in conveying a deep sense of longing and love while offering hope amidst loss, guess again because “Now You Are Free” does exactly that but in the context of another Technical Deathcore punishment beating. As brutal as the vocals are and they are truly demonic at times, here its the intricate melodies from the lead guitars which win the day, perfectly counterpointed by the pulverising rhythmic battery to make the band one of the more unique in the genre. A groove laden introduction and some death growls usher in “In Devil’s Embrace“, a cut will resonate with anyone who has searched for solace in darkness when life has left one feeling empty and betrayed. There are some clear Technical Metalcore influences from the likes of August Burns Red in evidence on this one, the band cracking the concrete beneath their feet with their powerhouse performance.

Perhaps a little less personal than the first trio of burnt offerings, title track “I Am Your Bane” transports the discerning listener into a world of mythical curses where humanity’s own darkness prevails. Equally as heavy hitting and as thoughtful as the opening unholy trinity of cuts, this one has a couple of soaring lead passages that are hauntingly majestic to add to the chaos of blast beats in creating an evil energy. The violent turbulence of the chugging guitars remain a neck snapping joy but there is so much more to this than meets the eye. The five piece have never settled for second best, the layering of the sounds with little abstract moments is seriously impressive. Inspired by a real-life tragedy, a child murder that occurred in Joensuu Finland, the savage “Retaliation” channels the conflicting emotions of rage and sorrow with bloodcurdling almost Slam vocal moments. The hatred churns as the guitars burn like wire, staccato riff breaks sounding like bursts of machine gun fire as the eerie haunting leads play out in chilling fashion. An epic finale where Lilith from Diablo 4 comes to life in a battle between
good and evil, “Mother Of Evil” may not have the emotive quality in the vocals but its just as intensely fierce. Blast beat passages and soaring leads add to the blazing inferno of noise, slowing for an evil spoken word before snapping back into shape. Osiah, Chelsea Grin and Despised Icon better be looking over their shoulders. A new reign of terror is about to begin [8.5/10]

Track Listing