Norwegian black metallers have issued the following update:

"We’re now moving towards the close of the year, and it’s been a very eventful year for Gravdal, so we thought it was time for an update on what has been happening with the band, and a look ahead to the future.

The biggest event for Gravdal in 2010 was of course the release of our second full-length album Torturmantra, which was produced by ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen, and recorded by Larsen, Bjørnar E. Nilsen and Arve Isdal. We saw Torturmantra as a big step forward from our first album Sadist, and an expansion of our ideas and sound for the band. The track that probably surprised most of you was of course the slower ballad-like Mishandlet, a song that was new territory for us, and for which we were able to feature SHINING’s Niklas Kvarforth on vocals. We have been very happy with the response to the album both from the fans and the press, and the feedback we have been getting has greatly encouraged us.

2010 also saw a lot of live activity for the band with appearances at festivals like Inferno and Hole in the Sky, and a tour with GORGOROTH and KEEP OF KALESSIN, which coincided perfectly with the release of Torturmantra. Even the explosion of the volcano with the unpronounceable name could not halt the tour, but it did mean that it took us a long time to get back by a very circuitous route, which is not the best thing to happen after a tour!

There have also been developments amongst the members of Gravdal, with drummer Taakesjel working on his BIZARREKULT project, and guitarist Specter joining me in AETERNUS, the band that sees me in my more usual place behind the drum kit. He has been busy familiarizing himself with the band’s material and we are both getting ready to work on the new album.

So, what does the rest of the year hold for Gravdal? We don’t plan on doing any more touring before 2011, but we will consider any one-off gigs that look interesting. In the meantime the rest of the guys will be able to stand down from Gravdal duties for a couple of weeks while I hit the road with SULPHUR as session live drummer on the Dark Essence Records tour between the 28th October and 7th November, which is something I’m very much looking forward to as it means I will be with touring with fellow Bergen bands TAAKE, HELHEIM and VULTURE INDUSTRIES, so I’m anticipating a lot of hard work and an equal amount of fun.

And next year? Well, we have been spurred on by the reaction to Torturmantra and the response we received from the audiences during our live shows and we are now looking ahead to the next album. We already have a title, so we will be starting to write the music and the lyrics and play around with the ideas that we have. We have also just started to work with the German booking agency Heavy Space, so look out for more live dates in 2011.

To close our update, on behalf of Gravdal I would like to thank various people who have helped us in many different ways. A big thank you goes to the following: Our Manager Patricia Thomas for her insight and dedication to Gravdal and for taking care of us and all the business and promotion side of things so that we can concentrate on our music. Herbrand & Co for the great production (not forgetting Bjornar’s dog Leif for keeping us company in the studio!). Fellow musicians Niklas (SHINING) for his vocals, and Ares (AETERNUS), Martin Legreid (HELLISH OUTCAST), Ole Walaunet (THE BATALLION/GRIMFIST) for lending us some bad ass equipment for the album, S.Otto Unnison (LEADSLEDGE, BETATT, ex-Hellish Outcast) for pre production and technical help. Robert Høyem for the fantastic cover art. Isak Strand at Little Dollar Studio for mastering the album and for letting us use his face on the cover! Bjarne Skintveit for shooting great pictures. Vidar H.H. for his economic support and investment. Hole in the Sky and Inferno Festivals for booking us. Dreggen for live bass work and Christina for taking his place. Gorgoroth, Keep Of Kalessin and the crew for an awesome tour. And last, but definitely not least, all of you have supported us, and those who bought our album and of course, those who came to see us live and gave us such a great reception. We enjoyed playing for you, and meeting you all. Here’s to a lot more of the same, but even better, in the future."