Indianapolis’ appropriately named Graveripper is a combination of two of my favorite things: extreme metal and Hoosier hostility. Now, the black thrash ‘n’ roll outfit has been heavily covered here at Last Rites, so I probably shouldn’t waste your time with a deep dive, but for those unfamiliar with the band, think Lemmy sporting corpse paint and barking over Carpathian Forest-inspired riffs.
“From Welkin to Tundra is a blackened, cold, furious assault that captures Graveripper’s distinct style of blending black and thrash metal better than any release yet,” says vocalist/guitarist Corey Parks. “From the dreadful opening track to the blazing ‘burn the house down’ closer, this record is a sonic assault of black thrash ‘n’ roll that I am very proud of.”
Point-blank, From Welkin to Tundra is cold. While the intro track may be more in the vein of The Mantle rather than Black Shining Leather, “Bring Upon Pain” is more reminiscent of Carpathian Forest — catchy riffs and memorable rock ‘n’ roll grooves. Its strongest attribute is, without a doubt, the chorus. The tremolo riff is quintessential ‘90s black metal, and Parks’ vocals are on another level — throat-slicing raspiness but still clear enough to decipher the message. “Hexenhammer” briefly veers off into triumphant black metal territory with that intro riff, but bounces into a black/thrash realm thereafter. That palm-muted chug in the verse adds a nice splash of color to the track, too. And maybe that’s another quality I appreciate here. Graveripper does a hell of a job meshing various extreme metal genres together, much like the Aura Noirs and Midnights before them. Even the thrashier moments aren’t truly thrash metal, and the more black metal moments really aren’t black metal to a T.
Again, while this might be their most black metal offering to date — I mean just listen for the Immortal vibes on “Death’s Cold Embrace” — the band somehow sticks to their own musical Frankenstein. The same goes for the black thrash attack on “…And Now It’s Dark,” “Sanctioned Slaughter,” and “Hounds from Hell,” the latter of which sounds like a nod to contemporary Aura Noir. Speaking of which, if you asked me to place a bullet-laden crown upon one moment on From Welkin to Tundra, that honor belongs to the final 1:10 of “New Gods, New Masters,” featuring a riff that would’ve fit on just about any ‘80s Bay-area LP.
While Parks’ influence is felt on each Graveripper release, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the addition of Nick James’ contributions behind the kit here. He absolutely destroys the snare and kick throughout the album’s entirety, but perhaps nothing matches the ferocity of “Bullet Laden Crown.” It’s nearly four and a half minutes of breakneck work and the best drumming performance on any Graveripper release — top-notch stuff.
There are no signs of a sophomore slump here. As great of a debut as Seasons Dreaming Death is, it doesn’t match the sheer brutality of From Welkin to Tundra, marking it as Graveripper’s finest release yet. From the holistic performances by the band to the nods to various avenues of extreme metal, it’s a downright punishing yet anthemic offering. Enjoy the moments screaming along to the lyrics, mimicking the solos, headbanging to the rhythm section, and starting a makeshift circle pit in any given room it blares over the speakers — two frostbitten thumbs up. 
