Shrapnel, the thrasher unit from across the pond, have released In Gravity as May comes to a close and sends us head-banging into the start of summer.
Their fourth studio album shows a maturation for the band that spurred from the grueling experience of isolation during the pandemic. While the core of their frenzied instrumentation carries into this new era of music, the vocals have broadened in terms of the complexity compared to their preceding albums. Vocalist Dan Moran has taken a more earnest approach with In Gravity, both lyrically and melodically.
This project was produced by none other than Jens Bogren, Swedish producer well-known for working with Sepultura. The album also features collaborations with Scott Kennedy of Bleed From Within and Bradley Hall, guitarist for Brainslug. In Gravity is showing that Shrapnel is elevating their sound and finding their target niche within the metal world while having fun along the way.
To touch on a couple of my favorite tracks, if you listen to “As Above” and “…So Below,” you can hear how they cleverly brought those song titles to life and created a contrasting transition from one to the other. In fact, “As Above” features acoustic guitars that incorporate a sound reminiscent of Northern European folk metal ballads. The short-lived acoustic bliss bleeds into “…So Below,” a riff-heavy track paired with spasmodic drumming sequences. The entire album is thought-provoking, one that reels you in from start to finish.
Shrapnel underwent a transformative couple years since their last album Palace For The Insane in 2020 and, according to the band, “ In Gravity emerges as an uplifting and crushingly precise statement … a cathartic exorcising of daemons, this is not an album that dwells on the past or leans on well-worn tropes but looks excitedly forward.”
You can stream the full album on Spotify.
Track list:
- In Gravity (feat. Scott Kennedy)
- Amber Screams
- Guardian
- Dark Age
- Follow The Cold
- As Above
- …So Below
- Absolution
- Rust
- Kingmaker
Photo courtesy of Shrapnel
