Till Makabert Vasen

Under the moniker of his one-man art metal operation, Bergraven, Norwegian Pär Gustafsson has progressed quite a bit from 2007's already impressive Dödsvisioner. Where that album was a slow, creeping, melancholy excursion into the darkness, this one is an aggressive, unpredictable freakout that's equal parts Enslaved, Opeth, and Oxbow. Gustafsson plays every instrument, and the palette includes guitar, bass, drums, and organ, plus his vocals, which are ranted more than sung and reminiscent of Circle frontman Mika Rättö in their hoarse persistence. The riffs loop and crash at unexpected intervals, while the drums are primitive but intricate, keeping odd meters and providing assaultive attempts at catharsis when one least expects it. None of the elements of these songs is placed in what would seem like the appropriate spot or moment; it's like a Captain Beefheart-esque approach to progressive metal at some points. Chords are sometimes jazzy, other times brutal; the only element that seems totally gone is black metal, the desolate Xasthur/Burzum/Nortt et al. division of which provided at least some basic inspiration on Dödsvisioner. As weird as it is, though, this album is never alienating -- it's one of the most fascinating pieces of one-man art rock you're likely to hear. Phil Freeman.