Gravemind – ‘Introsphere’ review

Australian metalcore outfit Gravemind have been on my radar for a while now, and after unfortunately having to pull out of a UK tour in 2022, their name has been in the back of my mind since, despite me not delving too far into their discography. The band’s debut record ‘Conduit’ released in 2019, breaking them onto the scene and introducing most of their now-fans to their signature brand of technical metalcore, but how does their latest offering – their second full-length ‘Introsphere’, with a line-up change and numerous Australian tours and festivals under their belt – square up? Spoiler alert: it absolutely rips.

If – like me – you just can’t seem to get enough of everything heavy coming out of Australia recently, then you won’t be surprised to learn that Gravemind deliver some truly insane moments across the 10-track record, and after absolutely rinsing the first single ‘Deathtouch’ since its early release in 2021, I genuinely couldn’t be happier with how their sound has evolved in the years between their LPs. While ‘Conduit’ showed off the band’s talent in writing, with brutal heavy moments, melodic passages and some truly unruly riffage throughout, ‘Introsphere’ feels like every part of the band’s process has evolved significantly. Everything from the fantastic modern production – which you would expect, with names like Scottie Simpson and Jeff Dunne on the mix and master – to the compositions and individual performances on the tracks just feels fresh, emphasised and, to put it bluntly, straight-up better.

It's hard to pick out specific highlights within Gravemind’s cacophonic metalcore soundscape, but an obvious place to start is the ridiculous vocal performance across the record. Despite Gravemind being a relatively small band internationally, vocalist Bailey Schembri delivers absolutely world-class screams consistently. With a recognisable deathcore-akin rasp to his lows and highs, his vocals continue to be a huge selling point for everything Gravemind put out, and the elevated production on ‘Introsphere’ does wonders with bringing his talent to the forefront. Moments like the stank-face-worthy “BLEEEIGH” in ‘House of Cards’ and the ambient, blast-beat, death metal final breakdown in ‘True Life’ give Schembri his time to shine, and I’m so unbelievably here for it.

Instrumentally, there’s no shortage of compliments to be paid out either. Firstly, I’m a sucker for a good drum mix, and Karl Stellar’s sound on this record is absolutely perfect. Spacious yet tight, the drumming benefits the explosive 10 tracks endlessly with rapid fills and crushing grooves that meld perfectly with the scrawling, pounding guitar-work of Damon Bredin and Aden Young. Speaking of, the guitars on this record are equally masterful, embracing a hyper-techy, glitchy style in the riff-writing which adds a whole new level of energy to the tracks as you genuinely don’t know where you’re being taken next. Paired with heaps of sludgy distortion and an enormous mix, the guitar tracks also stand out throughout the record, providing the backbone for the rest of the incredible sound to emerge from.

All of these elements underpin the LP’s complex lyricism, detailing cathartic introspection in a world where black and white blur to grey, and the boundary between right and wrong becomes unclear. The track names themselves relate heavily to personal struggle and methods of self-help, placing the lyricist as the focus as they “show you what it feels like” (‘Deathtouch’) with the tracks illustrating specifics about their mental state and experiences coping with uncertainty and feeling lost. While the lyrics can fly under the radar on many of the tracks due to the pure insanity of the medium they’re delivered through, Gravemind absolutely have a story to tell with ‘Introsphere’, and one that I’m excited to delve deeper into once the full lyrics are released with the record.

While the first two singles ‘Deathtouch’ and ‘>_TERMINAL’ remain favourites for me as playlist regulars, the album tracks absolutely live up to the hype and contribute some of my favourite moments on the LP. With the aforementioned vocal moments in ‘House of Cards’ and ‘True Life’, captivating melodic sections in ‘Aloy’ and the dramatic closer ‘Pranic Lift’, and the mammoth features from huge names like Code Orange’s Reba Meyers, Polaris’ Jamie Hails and even Mick Gordon, ‘Introsphere’ is an absolute treat the whole way through.

‘Introsphere’ as a whole clearly shows that Gravemind are back and better than ever, and despite a rocky few years amidst lineup changes in the wake of the pandemic, there’s absolutely no denying that the Aussies deserve to be around putting out incredible music. Throughout the record, you’re continuously reminded of just how enjoyable modern metalcore can be, from the brutal heaviness, emotive melodic passages and the talent that shines through from all components of the sound. Fans of Polaris, Currents and especially Make Them Suffer should not miss this one, and if you’re looking for a record that highlights everything great about modern metalcore, look no further than ‘Introsphere’.

8.5/10

Top tracks: >_TERMINAL True Life House of Cards