Year: 1992/2025
Label: Misantropia Records

Polish Graveland have had a few distinct phases in their career. Nowadays they are known for a very epic brand of viking black metal, where the influences from viking era Bathory are proudly on display. However, before that, during the earlier stages of their career, Graveland earned a reputation for raw, atmospheric, often mid-paced black metal evoking imagery of the darker aspects of ancient pagan cults.

And then, there are the very earliest demos. They are something quite different. It’s hard to aptly describe them, but we’ll give it our best shot now that Finnish Misantropia Records put out re-releases of them. These have actually been pressed on silver disc already a number of times, but Graveland main man Rob Darken seems to like to keep them available and in circulation.

Drunemeton, Graveland’s third demo, is actually something of a watershed moment. It is still very much the abject weirdness of the early demo era, but at the same time, nascent elements of what would come later are starting to be heard. Where the even earlier demos – which we will return to a bit later! – are decidedly confusing affairs, here Graveland’s expression starts to approach the raw black metal that would emerge fully formed on releases such as In The Glare Of Burning Churches and The Celtic Winter just a year or two later.

But make no mistake, Drunemeton is still extremely embryonic. The drums are a plodding, crude and straightforward drum machine, which sounds anything but real. The guitars are a buzzing, monotonous sawing drone. And untight at that, too. Rob Darken, who at this stage was the sole member, croaks viciously over this murky, choppy sludge of extremely crude proto-second wave black metal.

Of course, one has to understand the context. Drunemeton was written and recorded in Poland 1992. Barely out of the cold war, a few short years after the collapse of the iron curtain. This was the same year when Emperor released their Wrath Of The Tyrant demo and Darkthrone their first black metal album, A Blaze In The Northern Sky.

In other words. Most likely Darken had access only to the most primitive of equipment. And, at the very least, he did not have a rich well of pre-existing recordings to draw inspiration from. He was, in a very real sense, probing the dark alone with nothing but a match for light. Understanding this certainly helps to see Drunemeton in a different kind of light, at least to some extent.

And it’s not like Drunemeton wouldn’t be without its redeeming elements. There is a crude sort of charm to more than one track – but nonetheless, let’s single out one! Celtic Sanctuary towards the end of the demo combines snarly mid-tempo black metal with some very atmospheric synthwork in a way that truly anticipates what Graveland would shortly evolve into. As soon as the synths kick in at about the one minute mark, it’s easy to see the potential Graveland had by this stage.

And then there are the synth interludes. These are already quite proficient, building atmosphere effectively with what I’d call early dungeon synth. They are dark and mysterious, and are arranged with a knack for atmosphere. They prove that Darken was by no means a hopeless hack at this stage, even if the tightness of his guitar playing leaves something to be desired.

And so we arrive at the final judgment of Drunemeton. Its shortcomings are undeniable. Judged purely by its musical accomplishments, especially by today’s standards, it is easily found to be gravely lacking.

But that’s not a fair assessment of a release of this nature. These are not fresh recordings; this is an archival recording digging deep into the annals of black metal history. And as material from the archives, Drunemeton is certainly not without value. Context is important.

Let’s put it like this: for the casual listener, Drunemeton is likely not worth the time of day. If you want to hear just why Graveland is a cult name within black metal, look to other releases. However, if you’re a fan of the band, and/or have a vested interest in the murky, weird, fumbling origins of second wave black metal and the pioneering material that, through trial and error, created the cornerstones of the sound… well, if you are one of them, you will have an understanding for the clumsiness, the technical shortcomings and the crudeness. And with that mindset, Drunemeton is an interesting and not unaccomplished piece of black metal history.

So, approach understanding what you’re about to experience.

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