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HRAEFN - "Research Into Infinity"


HRAEFN (an Old Norse word meaning "raven" in English) is a trio from Belgium who creates a very unique strain of heavy music that they call "psychedelic doom n' roll". However, I believe the band would be selling themselves a bit short with that terse definition, as there is infinitely more going on in this eclectic sound (more about that later). However, you can certainly hear a bit of all the band's influences in their musical style, including Black Sabbath, Kyuss, Windhand, Metallica, Death, Mars Red Sky, Bowel, and Candiria. Says the band, 

"There is something about how we interact as a band. We get together with all our experience, our different influences and our pretty distinct playing styles, and somehow this intense, fiery and psychedelic music comes out. Stuff we also don't always understand, but it does seem to understand us. Together we become this entity. We become HRAEFN." 

HRAEFN came together in 2021 and released their debut EP, Call For Blood, the following year. In 2023, the band welcomed drummer Terrence "Doom Foot" Gevaert (Carneia, Her Fault) into the fold, and soon found themselves working on their latest release, Research Into Infinity (self-released on November 15, 2024). I'd like to come up with a clever sentence or two to set up my track-by-track review of Research Into Infiinity, but in the case of HRAEFN, I feel it's best to dive right in, fully immersing yourself in this eccentric sound with vivid, uncanny imagery to match (and I mean that as a huge compliment). 

Research Into Infinity


1.) Research Into Infinity

The title track is such a great example of the qualities that make HRAEFN unique. Here, the band expertly orchestrates a dance between hulking doom, intricate progressive rock, and vocals that are both hair-raising and genuinely passionate. For me, these elements work together to illustrate a very specific mood and situation that couldn't be accomplished with any other style of music. Perhaps most interestingly, there's a hint of an eerie sci-fi feel that comes and goes, particularly as the calm but confident verses move into spine-chilling choruses. You can almost feel a frosty vapor rise around you as this happens. Research Into Infinity's lyrics potentially raise more questions than answers, but this is a large part of its appeal. The intrigue also creates a certain air of what I could best describe as a horror movie romance:

"Through the shallow waters of infinity
I wade as I am heading for the deep
The surface fails to mirror me
As I'm heading for my destiny
As I'm heading for the deep

You'll never be alone again
Why don't you come back home again"

2.) Arcadia

The spooky mood, heavy metal instrumentals, and melodic vocal harmonies in Arcadia instantly reminded me of the 80s, especially the style of metal popular at the time and the fascination with mad scientists going rogue. As it turns out, I was right on the money, as indicated by the lyrics:

"Put me to sleep in formaldehyde
Come catch the dreams where I die all the time

Arcadia

Don't wake me up
All I want is to escape the stare

Come and chase me in my head
I am here though my body is dead

Arcadia

Wake me up 
My endless fever and the scientist's stare"

Arcadia, almost needless to say, is insanely immersive, completely surrounding you in an ominous fog while unnerving you to no end with its eerie tales. The harrowing yet nostalgic heavy metal tones will place you squarely in the middle of an 80s sci fi horror film. 

3.) Worldeater

Worldeater is the longest track on the EP at nearly nine minutes, and its meaning is much clearer. The scene depicted here is a funeral for mankind and our planet as we know it. Hope is gone, and "doom has come", as we pay the ultimate price for allowing climate change to destroy the world we took for granted:

"There's no legacy
Just will-infested brains
The things that they believe
It's time to clean the slate
We've gathered here tonight
To raise all hell

Send the worldeater
Harvester of death"

The song takes on a tone that is simultaneously sullen (heard in the moody crawl of the bass), devastated (heard in the shrill but melodic lamentation of the vocals), and pissed off (heard in the choppy heavy metal sound of the guitar). 

The primary takeaway here is the realization that the worldeater is not some mythical beast who destroys entire planets for his own amusement. The worldeater, in effect, stares back at us from the mirror. 

 

 Final Thoughts

First of all, HRAEFN produces such a massive sound that it's difficult to believe that it comes from only three musicians. 

Secondly, one of my favorite things about the band is their uniqueness and my inability to safely categorize them as one (or two, or three) particular genres. Their sound has what I think could be called an occult vibe, but for me it smacks a bit harder of science fiction, as touched upon earlier; the feeling generated by the band's sound and the vocals in particular lend themselves more to being eerie as opposed to spooky. The heavy and progressive metal influences atop the doom assist with that as well. While doom is certainly a palpable influence on this EP, HRAEFN's style is less of the traditional low and slow rumble we typically hear, and encompasses more of a crunchier, faster-paced, traditional heavy metal sound with dark undertones. This is very effective in creating tension, apprehension and suspense, which naturally gels with HRAEFN's lyrical subject matter. 

What initially got me to listen to HRAEFN was one of the ways I saw their music described: "unsettling doom n' roll". As luck would have it, I'm a huge fan of "unsettling" things. Quite often, in order to see the gravity of a situation and to be spurred into learning more and taking action, one has to become a little uncomfortable and shaken up first. Even simpler than that, uncanny scenarios will certainly grab your attention, but most importantly, they inspire deeper reflection about yourself and the inner workings of your mind and the world we live in. HRAEFN's unique sound, top notch creativity, and skilled musicianship accomplishes just that. 

Research Into Infinity is truly a breath of fresh air in the heavy underground scene. As someone who loves stoner/doom but has a massive appreciation for traditional heavy metal, this album scratched a lot of itches for me. 

What's Next? 

In the band's own words:

"We're constantly creating new tracks and trying to re-invent everything we do. We don't like to stick to one particular thing or style. Creativity is something that really drives us, and to be able to put out more music is always a tough but very rewarding process. But of course we also really want to hit the stage again now with our new drummer and play for crowds, so we're working on a series of gigs in 2024 and 2025 as well. This is our main priority in the coming months."

Make sure you keep an eye on the band's social media profiles and website (links below) for news about upcoming shows! 


More About HRAEFN


HRAEFN is: 

Michael Sremos - Guitars
Terrence Gevaert - Drums 
Tonny van Bavel - Bass and Vocals 

You can follow HRAEFN and listen to their music at the following links:




...and if delightfully unsettling is your thing, you might also like Fatima's album "Eerie"!
 
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