The first thing I do when I get an album to review is to research the band. Who are they, where are they from, what have they produced, etc. Sometimes the labels send along promo material, which is helpful, and then there are a plethora of online sites to plumb. I say 'sometimes.' Other times you get nothing. And then there are bands that seem to go out of their way to hide their identity. So is the case with GRAVEN DÄGGER from Rosario, Argentina. From what I can surmise, the band is a project of an unnamed multi-instrumentalist. He has released two albums under the GRAVEN DÄGGER moniker: a self-titled debut on October 31, 2022 and a follow-up album, “No King's Land,” in September 2023. In October 2023, Helter Skelter Productions via Regain Records is re-releasing the debut album.

GRAVEN DÄGGER is a lo-fi, instrumental Stoner Metal band. A lot of instrumental bands verge on the border of Prog. Not so with this band—instead they verge on a strange hinterland of a fusion of Psych and Dungeon. Their curious and yet compelling cover art (by Deliriavision) hints at the same. And that’s how I would sum up this band. They draw you in with mystique, and you hang around mostly because there is nothing to chase you away. It’s a comfortable eight tracks that don’t demand too much from the audience apart from the 29 minutes it takes to listen. It also doesn’t give too much.

The intro track is a squishy synth atmospheric piece. Each track starts with a static hiss suggestive of blank space on a tape or, less so, the scratchy empty space on vinyl. Tracks four and eight are also ambient pieces offering an interlude and outro, respectively. So that leaves five actual music tracks. Here’s the run down: “Dungeonist” is reminiscent of 60’s rock song. Think early JEFFERSON STARSHIP but without vocals. “The Devil and the Madman” is a blues-laden piece marked by some intriguing drum work. Probably my favorite track of the lot. “Bloodnight” maintains the fastest tempo with an insistent bass line and a scathing lead to wind it all up. “By Sword and Witchery” is solid—a bit too sing-songy—but still good and, finally, “Blues from the Black Lagoon” lives into its title, offering of up a doom-laden blues lament.  

So, nothing to get too excited about. Nice background music you might toss on while attending to other things. It does, however, spark enough interest to check out the sophomore album by GRAVEN DÄGGER to see which way they pivot—Desert Psych, full-on Black Dungeon, or just more meandering 60’s rock.