GRANITADER is a black metal band from Germany that formed in 2019. “Der Wald zwischen den Welten,” is their full-length debut; they also released an EP in 2023. The band’s overall sound is atmospheric and majestic—I actually found it to be rather enthralling; .this album captivated me from beginning to end. The album has a cold atmosphere, frozen epoch covering up the considerable landscape that is surprisingly melodic but always expansive. While the album consists of many great riffs and tortured vocals, it isn’t an overly fast or aggressive album. There is nothing wrong with that and it is actually better this way because the songwriting demands a high attention to detail. This is definitely an album that hits you immediately but it also still reveals itself over time, requiring multiple listens.

The guitars are often balanced between abrasive blackened notes and melodic flourishes, peppering the songs with moments of clarity amongst the chaotic section. The songs aren’t overly long either; none of them are over the six minute mark yet their compositions allow them each a lot of breathing room. They sound bigger than they really are without dragging on. The drums and bass provide a strong foundation and rhythm that always fits the mood and flow of the song, sometimes going a long way in steering the band’s direction. The intro, which is usually filler for most bands, is anything but. It’s actually somewhat beautiful and builds up nicely with its cleaning notes and drums that bring a clean tapestry to the surface as the keys move in.

The first proper song, “Ødensjakt,” opens with clean tones, echoing the intro. Within about 10 seconds, drums kick off a furious blackened passage that rolls along. As the riffs cut through, keys fill in the liminal spaces to make the song catchy and atmospheric as much as it is heavy. The tempo ticks up, ensuring the band always handles their aggression even when focusing on introspective moments. “Miriquidi,” and its hard driven rhythms are laced with clean keys that add so much to the layers even if they are deceptively simple. The guitars are melodic in places but not overly but expertly blended in with the song so well that the entire track flows smooth. In the beginning, “Geister des Nordens,” is melancholic but sleepy and shy before the floodgates open. The melancholic grip keeps a tight hold of the song as it flows on through, building upon itself while retaining each element created. This one is surprisingly catchy and has a bit of a post-metal feel to it. I love the suddenly clean part around the 2:50 mark and the clean vocals that come along with it.

“Netsche,” features some of the best riffs and most ear-grabbing guitar in the entire album. It has a bouncy rhythm that leads into the overlapping of clean/black vocals in a very well written presentation. The later half of the song features a few faster parts, ensuring the band is always on the extreme end. The outro is a short instrumental but, just like the intro, it actually adds to the album and is worth hearing. Ultimately, GRANITADER’s “Der Wald zwischen den Welten,” isn’t what I expected…it’s fun, engaging and catchy but, at the same time, it’s straight up black metal. A very strong debut album that is hopefully a sign of more to come from them.