Krigsgrav – Fires In The Fall Review

[Cover Art by Cameron Hinojosa]

“Fires in the Fall? It’s June, you big dummy!”

For some of you, releasing a warm black metal album best suited for sitting in solitude next to a roaring fire while dead leaves fall around you seems like a silly thing to do in the summer. But, you know what? It’s fall in the southern hemisphere, you self-centered bastards. Actually, it might be winter right now. Who cares about Australia anyway? Granted, the trio behind Krigsgrav lives in Texas and are presumably sitting around waiting for their power grid to fail while their bodies melt into a fine goo with a crispy top layer like a flesh onion soup. But, you know what else? I like sitting by a fire and contemplating the deep dark secrets of the world while staring up at the night sky in summer too, and with little competition from other black metal bands too afraid to peek out from the snow, Krigsgrav has their niche locked up right now; a shrewd bunch down there in the Lone Star state.

Despite nearing 20 years of existence and Fires In The Fall being the band’s seventh full-length album, we won’t judge you for being unfamiliar with their works. For those uninitiated, here’s a fun fact for you: Band founder David Sikora (drums, clean vocals and bass) recently shared with the Lost In The Catacombs podcast that he decided to start the band when he had too much time to think about it during a high school evacuation due to a bomb threat. Thanks, America!

Good thing it was just a threat, and they didn’t actually blow up because we would’ve missed out on one hell of an album in Fires In The Fall. Krigsgrav pulls influence from several corners of black metal and blends them with a perfect dose of doom to create a nuanced, perfectly flowing seven tracks that can just as easily leave you bruised as they can leave your heart aching from subtle but mighty moments of beauty.

“An Everflowing Vessel” starts with a hefty and somber melody that grows more impactful throughout the song. To prove Krigsgrav’s mission of remaining dynamic, however, they slow the song down and layer in clean vocals so subtly that you’d probably miss them on room speakers or bad headphones. The song then transitions into light acoustics layered into the heaviness that eventually acts as an isolated closing element giving the second half of the song a classic Agalloch feel. The previously mentioned flow the band is so adept with is on display immediately as “The Black Oak” fades in with a mid-paced trudge before a quick acoustic run opens the gates to a crushing riff and rhythm. Halfway through a slicing pattern cuts into a shiny, twisting tremolo riff that feels almost ebullient. While the song brings back elements throughout its runtime, it’s often layered with new elements or mixing two pieces together. Every track feels like it’s own journey.

There’s no single influence that dominates the entire album. “In Seas of Perdition” is fiery as hell as it blasts away, making those melodies feel like blades whirling around your ears. It’s easily one of the darkest and most traditional tracks but fits perfectly in place where it lands on the tracklist. Yet again, the band balances that by having “When I’m Gone, let The Wolves Come” make their melodies soar to the sky and sound more like one of Havukruunu’s inspiring battle hymns.  “Shadowlands” drags the tempos into the murk and lets Krigsgrav’s doom roots show. As the song goes on, the pummel picks up steam and making some stank face will be hard to avoid. Fires In The Fall closes with “Alone With The Setting Sun” which puts it all together. The song morphs through multiple tempos, styles and emotions to feel absolutely massive as it brings the listener to an extremely satisfying conclusion.

Krigsgrav has such a knack for blending their varied influences that it never feels like an act of homage or them saying, “Look, we can write an Emperor riff.” Once you spend time soaking in the depths of this record, you’ll find that you can call out this band’s work easily as they’ve created a strong identity for themselves.

In one of heavy metal’s most misanthropic subgenres, Krigsgrav has opted to create something emotive. Something infused with a sense of beauty that avoids feeling saturated or plastic. Something that remains heavy and varied while still adhering to the “rules” of the genre. That delicate balance alone makes album number seven worth a listen.