The Graviators - The Graviators (2009) (Reissued, 2010)

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The Graviators - The Graviators (2009) (Reissued, 2010)

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I can see in your eyes clearly that you dust “Pentagram (Relentless)” and “Day Of Reckoning” under the rose at night when all the lights are out and you sit alone in the dark. You reminisce the old good days of SABBATH with Ozzy till “Technical Ecstasy” at least, and scan with sneaky eyes every ELECTRIC WIZARD album you find in your way. You are not the only one, you know; we are lots like you and we hanker for a new dirty and heavy occult hard rock record like those used to be released in the 80s. Thank God, there is Sweden and THE GRAVIATORS approaching in a big percentage PENTAGRAM’s albums-chests, making a good start with their debut self-titled album under the shelter of Transubstans Records.

‘The Graviators’ name maybe does not tell you a thing at the first encounter, but if you check closely into their past, you’ll successfully find a member from split-up HIGH IN FUNGOID VOID, which is the drummer, Henrik Bergman. Influences of the whole occult doom scene are well hidden in this release, as lots of highly distorted down-tuned guitars too, while plenty of inspiration rises from the sounds of rock ‘n’ roll 70s bands are scattered here and there; I could agree that THE GRAVIATORS does not play something special, or even different from bands like PENTAGRAM in the 80s, but I provoke you to name 5 groups that have this occultism in their sound nowadays- and no more hearing about WITCHCRAFT and REVERENT BIZARRE; I already said ‘new’.

How light I felt when I heard songs like “Back To The Sabbath” or “Juggernaut” for the first time! The reading of Niklas Sjöberg is remarkable and the stable guitars are another one advantage THE GRAVIATORS have. Nice rhythms and good patterns add a great eerie atmosphere throughout the album that clocks more than one hour. “Shapes Of Babylon” and “She’s A Witch” have all the settings to be the highlights of “The Graviators”- in the meantime, “Saturnus ‘84” has an alternate space character and some clever effects to go with. Nevertheless, the epic “Planet Gone” that closes the album spreads a mysterious aggressiveness and makes itself the ideal dessert for the fine.

The great absent is the originality and the personal ID of the band; unfortunately, well-played parts are not enough since they reminding something old and rival. You have to bleed and show what you got inside your music brain in order stay steel during the passing of time. I love PENTAGRAM and the occultism that such bands spread and carve down the doom-laden tabs years ago, but nowadays you have to put another one stone to the wall and continue the work and not just copy it. Except this, THE GRAVIATORS grabbed my attention and I will keep an eye on them for their next step. Where is my “Dopethrone”, anyway? I’ve put it somewhere do(om)wn here…

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