ArtistDirect News
Gradience Announces Debut Album Anomaly, Set for September 4 Release via Metal Blade Records
Danish duo Gradience has announced that their debut full‑length album, Anomaly, will be released on September 4 2026 through Metal Blade Records. The 11‑track record blends blackened death metal, sludge, and trap‑rap, a combination the band says was born from an instant creative rapport between guitarist Jakob Lærke Harris and vocalist Gavin Mistry.
Gradience formed in 2022 after Harris and Mistry met at a Copenhagen show for deathcore act Cabal. Harris, who has a background in visual art and a previous involvement in a pop‑core project, and Mistry, who has worked on several hip‑hop projects, began writing together in a local studio. According to Harris, the songwriting process felt “straightforward” from the start, and the pair set out to create metal that was “completely new” while also being music they personally needed to hear.
Mistry has described the lyrical content of Anomaly as largely autobiographical. As an immigrant in Denmark, he has faced pushback and challenges that have shaped his writing. The album’s themes reflect his reflections on past, present, and future truths and lies that he has had to confront. One track, “White Noise,” is highlighted as an experimental piece that juxtaposes confrontational and introspective elements, ending with a spoken‑word segment that Mistry says mirrors his need for solitude.
The album’s track list is as follows: 1. Vermin 2. Blame Me 3. Agony 4. Master to the Slave 5. Stains 6. Deathwish 7. Slow 8. Undone 9. A Witness 10. White Noise 11. Grimey Potential
Gradience’s lineup on Anomaly includes bassist Patrick Petersen and drummer Frederik Kjelstrup Hansen, in addition to Harris and Mistry. The band has released a handful of singles independently, including “Lucid” and “Deathwish,” the latter of which received a music video and was promoted on social media.
Metal Blade Records, founded by Brian Slagel in 1982, is an independent label that has historically focused on heavy metal. The signing of Gradience marks the label’s continued expansion into newer hybrid styles within the metal spectrum. Metal Blade’s European manager, Markus “Bart” Grasseck, welcomed the duo to the roster, noting that the band’s “uncompromising” sound fits the label’s mission to support innovative metal acts.
The release of Anomaly follows a period of growing attention for Gradience within the Danish metal scene. The duo’s early singles have garnered streams on major platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer, and the band has been featured in several online metal publications, including MetalTabs, Earsplit Compound, and Lambgoat.
From an industry perspective, Anomaly represents a continued trend of genre fusion in extreme metal. Blackened death metal, which combines black metal’s atmosphere with death metal’s brutality, and sludge metal’s slow, heavy riffs are both well‑established subgenres. The addition of trap‑rap elements—characterized by rhythmic vocal delivery and bass‑heavy production—creates a novel sonic palette that Gradience claims is “something we hadn’t heard before.”
The album’s release date positions it for consideration in year‑end metal charts and award cycles. While no chart data is available yet, Metal Blade’s distribution network should provide the album with access to international markets.
Gradience’s first full‑length effort will be available in digital and physical formats, including a digital‑CD bundle that can be purchased through Metal Blade’s European online store. Pre‑orders are currently open.
In summary, Anomaly is set to launch on September 4 2026 under Metal Blade Records. The album showcases a blend of blackened death metal, sludge, and trap‑rap, driven by the songwriting partnership of Jakob Lærke Harris and Gavin Mistry. With a lineup that includes Patrick Petersen and Frederik Kjelstrup Hansen, the duo’s debut offers a fresh take on extreme metal that reflects personal experiences and a desire to push genre boundaries.
Gradience formed in 2022 after Harris and Mistry met at a Copenhagen show for deathcore act Cabal. Harris, who has a background in visual art and a previous involvement in a pop‑core project, and Mistry, who has worked on several hip‑hop projects, began writing together in a local studio. According to Harris, the songwriting process felt “straightforward” from the start, and the pair set out to create metal that was “completely new” while also being music they personally needed to hear.
Mistry has described the lyrical content of Anomaly as largely autobiographical. As an immigrant in Denmark, he has faced pushback and challenges that have shaped his writing. The album’s themes reflect his reflections on past, present, and future truths and lies that he has had to confront. One track, “White Noise,” is highlighted as an experimental piece that juxtaposes confrontational and introspective elements, ending with a spoken‑word segment that Mistry says mirrors his need for solitude.
The album’s track list is as follows: 1. Vermin 2. Blame Me 3. Agony 4. Master to the Slave 5. Stains 6. Deathwish 7. Slow 8. Undone 9. A Witness 10. White Noise 11. Grimey Potential
Gradience’s lineup on Anomaly includes bassist Patrick Petersen and drummer Frederik Kjelstrup Hansen, in addition to Harris and Mistry. The band has released a handful of singles independently, including “Lucid” and “Deathwish,” the latter of which received a music video and was promoted on social media.
Metal Blade Records, founded by Brian Slagel in 1982, is an independent label that has historically focused on heavy metal. The signing of Gradience marks the label’s continued expansion into newer hybrid styles within the metal spectrum. Metal Blade’s European manager, Markus “Bart” Grasseck, welcomed the duo to the roster, noting that the band’s “uncompromising” sound fits the label’s mission to support innovative metal acts.
The release of Anomaly follows a period of growing attention for Gradience within the Danish metal scene. The duo’s early singles have garnered streams on major platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer, and the band has been featured in several online metal publications, including MetalTabs, Earsplit Compound, and Lambgoat.
From an industry perspective, Anomaly represents a continued trend of genre fusion in extreme metal. Blackened death metal, which combines black metal’s atmosphere with death metal’s brutality, and sludge metal’s slow, heavy riffs are both well‑established subgenres. The addition of trap‑rap elements—characterized by rhythmic vocal delivery and bass‑heavy production—creates a novel sonic palette that Gradience claims is “something we hadn’t heard before.”
The album’s release date positions it for consideration in year‑end metal charts and award cycles. While no chart data is available yet, Metal Blade’s distribution network should provide the album with access to international markets.
Gradience’s first full‑length effort will be available in digital and physical formats, including a digital‑CD bundle that can be purchased through Metal Blade’s European online store. Pre‑orders are currently open.
In summary, Anomaly is set to launch on September 4 2026 under Metal Blade Records. The album showcases a blend of blackened death metal, sludge, and trap‑rap, driven by the songwriting partnership of Jakob Lærke Harris and Gavin Mistry. With a lineup that includes Patrick Petersen and Frederik Kjelstrup Hansen, the duo’s debut offers a fresh take on extreme metal that reflects personal experiences and a desire to push genre boundaries.