Northern Graves - Derelict Heart [Official Music Video]
Released on February 24, 2026 by Meuse Music Records.
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Northern Graves is a Blackened Doom Metal band that was formed in 2024 in Saskatchewan (Canada) and is now based in Houston (USA).
Inspired by the seemingly endless Canadian prairies and the countless ghost towns that dot its landscape, Northern Graves takes its name from the struggles and challenges of living in the rural North.
Crumbling infrastructure and dwindling populations provide such places with a sense that they’re dying-like, ruins left behind in the shadow of those who sought opportunities and a better life elsewhere.
Originally formed in the winter of 2023 as a solo project by guitarist and vocalist Damian Smith (Altars of Grief, Subside, Hircine), Northern Graves was intended more as an escape than anything, and as a means of channeling creativity and telling musical stories.
However, in the spring of 2024, the project expanded to include Branson Heinz (Wills Dissolve, Urbain) on drums and Andrew Caruana (Wills Dissolve, Urbain) on guitars and vocals, and Roman Chester on bass.
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'Derelict Heart', Northern Graves' debut full-length album as a complete lineup, is a concept album that tells a story inspired by the poetry of Andrew Suknaski, a Saskatchewan local.
It’s a story about the long, treacherous winters on the plains, and about mortality and what happens after we leave this life.
Coupled with visuals by Travis Smith of Seempieces (Opeth, Katatonia, Nevermore), 'Derelict Heart' seeks to sonically capture the essence of a winter tempest, the ruggedness of Canadian wilderness, and the despair of losing hope.
The album processes began just as Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Houston, forever imbuing the album with the wild spirit of nature.
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Lyrics:
Wanderer, within the mist
No stars above to guide my way
A notion of light flickers and dies
Absolution, I await
Our home in silence
The cracks begin to show
Depression, malignant
In its growth
Our home…
Cracks shown…
The cost…
I am lost…
Lost in reverie
What remains of me?
All of this time, just dust and memories?
Nothing to feel, nothing left here
In the last light of the sun, I embrace the ghost I have become
So, let darkness descend in all of its splendor
To relieve this burden from me
For, here is perdition; here is nothingness; here is forever
Take all that I have left
Exhaling ashes
Away from despair
Cold silence answers the wreckage of prayers
A bewildering embrace
Frozen in time
Broken beyond words
Liminal thoughts, becoming undone
Another season departs
We reflect on the years that have gone
Wanderer, within the mist
No stars above to guide my way
A derelict heart, my spirit subsides
Absolution has arrived
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Branson Heinz – Drums
Damian Smith – Guitar, vocals, piano
Andrew Caruana – Guitar, vocals, orchestral arrangements
Roman Chester – Bass
Guest vocals by Déhà
Written and performed by Northern Graves
Produced by Andrew Caruana and Damian Smith
Mixed by Andrew Caruana
Mastered by Brad Boatright (Audiosiege)
Album cover and layout by Travis Smith (Seempieces)
Band photography by Rick Custer
Video edited by Audiopower Studio
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All rights reserved. Northern Graves & Meuse Music Records - 2026.
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