Review: “Self Titled” by Grave With A View

A violent force spewing hateful black n roll with the occasional maddening slow descent down a soul crushing void. Negative. Nihilistic. Nothingness.” ~ Grave With A View.

Originally formed in 2018, Grave With A View released what they call a few “irrelevant” tracks before resurrection in 2021 with O and J the only remaining official members. Their debut self titled EP promises Black ‘n Roll abrasions of Sludge fueled Doom Metal from harsh Finnish winters, their self description suggesting they are some way down the path to self immolation…

…with titles like “Forever Worship Violence” all the confirmation you should ever need. While the musicians in the line up maybe shrouded in mystery, their creations certainly are not. The opening cut having the band sound like the bastard child of The Murderdolls and Dimmu Borgir, combining Black Metal and Hardcore Punk with none of the sense of humour or Symphonic elements. The vocals are scathing but it is the sonic diversity that really captures the imagination as while keeping everything pitch black there are more than a few risks taken in this vision. “True Death” changes the angle of attack with dark and stormy atmospheres resonating against dirge laden riffs as the whole thing drips with black bile. Wine drinkers may describe their sound as robust and full flavoured before the ear piercing feedback that leads into “At Oblivion’s Step” threatens a brain hemorrhage like nails down a chalk board. When the track itself does kick in, there are some interesting almost tribal fills that form a rhythmic backbone to a mid tempo cut as black as night. Haunting atmospherics lead the way like a torch light through the fields of corpses, the throat shredding screams a call from a banshee to an untimely demise. The knife twists in the back of the victim with “Last To Give“, a slow crawl of  Industrial Metal with flavours of Skinny Puppy or God Flesh that brings forth the kind of experimentation that others simply aren’t prepared to take a chance on. The alchemy works incredibly well, offering something not entirely new but chemically enhanced before “Rope” wraps us back around the stylings of “Forever Worship Violence” with Nihilistic lyrics and a sense of gallows humour. The riffs are fearfully addictive as well as having an air of  familiarity about them and it’s a formula that will have you hooked if you’re not careful [7/10]

Track Listing

  1. Forever Worship Violence
  2. True Death
  3. At Oblivion’s Step
  4. Last To Give
  5. Rope

Self Titled” by Grave With A View is out 25th November 2022 and maybe available over at bandcamp

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