Dutch post-doom collective Gavran return with new album ‘The One Who Propels’ and share new single

In the aftermath of deeply uncertain times marked by serious illness, Dutch post-doom collective Gavran return with The One Who Propels, a powerful new chapter that follows their critically acclaimed dunk!records release Indistinct Beacon. Re-emerging as a renewed four-piece, the band have once again collaborated with Marius Prins (Throwing Bricks) and Tim de Gieter (Amenra, Doodseskader), resulting in their most expansive and emotionally charged work to date. Drawing fluidly from doom, sludge, shoegaze, and post-rock, The One Who Propels unfolds as a massive yet intimate wall of sound, heavy and deeply reflective and is set to be released on January 30 once again via dunk!records. 

Alongside the album announcement, Gavran have unveiled a new video for the striking track “Zora”, offering a first, immersive glimpse into the emotional and sonic essence of The One Who Propels.

Gavran was conceived in the fall of 2017 during a period of personal struggle, when guitarist Freek van Rooyen and drummer/vocalist Jamie Kobić were searching for something to hold on to. With the addition of bassist Ritsaart Vetter in October 2018, the band’s first solid lineup took shape.

Their debut album Still Unavailing (2020) was met with strong acclaim. Inspired by the spiritual intensity of Neurosis, YOB, and Amenra, and mixed and produced by Tim de Gieter, the record delivered a sound that was massive, heavy, and emotionally charged. Released during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Still Unavailing became an unintentional soundtrack for isolation and introspection, earning a nomination for Album of the Year in their hometown of Rotterdam.

Gavran followed with Indistinct Beacon, again working with de Gieter and adding a final mastering touch from Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker). The album revealed a more melodic and spacious side of the band, while retaining their crushing core.

After a prolonged period of uncertainty caused by the guitarist’s serious illness, Gavran now return with The One Who Propels, a record that is both emotionally vulnerable and sonically intense. Reuniting with Marius Prins and Tim de Gieter, the band deliver a record that is both emotionally vulnerable and sonically intense.

The release also marks a major lineup evolution. Drummer/vocalist Jamie Kobić transitioned to guitar and vocals, joined by Tinus Kardolus on bass and Roy Zwinkels on drums. The addition of a second guitar has expanded the band’s sonic depth, resulting in their biggest, most layered sound yet.

“Gavran is our vessel to look life and death straight in the eye. It allows us to observe our shared consciousness and embrace despair, doubt, desire, grief, pain, and anger with absolute attention and without distraction. Join us in this visceral journey toward the timeless space of inner silence.” Says Jamie Kobić.

While Gavran’s earlier work leaned toward hope as a guiding force, The One Who Propels shifts its focus toward necessity, the inner energy required to initiate real change, beginning not outwardly, but from within.