When people wonder aloud as to why Scandinavia produces so many metal bands, you’ll often hear about the harsh, cold landscape or the days on end of darkness that come in winter. That very well may be, but of those bands that in some way draw music from the atmosphere and pull it from the earth, perhaps none captures the sting of the frigid air or the grit of the frozen soil and the marrow of northern existence as well as Sweden’s Grift.

Grift play pretty music for tortured souls, weary songs fit for those gorgeous desolate landscapes and solitude, and “Kallan” encapsulates the spirit from its sorrowful accordion-backed picked intro to its hurtling tragic finish. But desperation and regret forcefully and vividly come to the fore with mastermind Eric Gärdefors’ absolutely searing vocals that howl and bleed with anguish and stand in contrast to guitar leads that seem to bear a sense of resolve in spite of it all. As a whole, it’s really quite cinematic, and “Källan” is a story shot in sepia tone, looking back on what was and what was lost. Listen.

“Källan” is from a split with the Ukranian band Drudkh titled Betrayed By The Sun / Häringar and is out on 9/16 via Nordvis and Season Of Mist.