Lonely Grave - Craterface (CD)

Umeå trio Lonely Grave's debut full-length, Craterface, is an infernal powerhouse of pestilent, grinding crust. Despite the almost nonstop high energy level, the record's atmosphere is oppressive and suffocating. Opener "The Extremist" makes an unforgettable entrance with a deafening cacophony of diseased, rotting noise, soon interrupted by a breakneck d-beat assault and churning blasts. Running just under seventeen minutes, Craterface is by no means a long album, but honestly I don't think it could feel more complete. Lonely Grave lays out a perfect amount of variation between the bursts of hardcore, with (thank God) sparingly used headbang-inducing breakdowns and even an interlude of harsh noise meandering on "Craterface." It ends incredibly strongly too, the ominous sample that concludes "Buy Punk Gloves" providing a final repose before the pumping thrashcore riffs of "Don't Let Me In" and the slow, sludgy closer "The Three Beggars" - which, at only two and a half minutes, thankfully avoids the grind cliche of a drawn out, repetitive last song, which is seemingly hardly ever done well. Craterface handily accomplishes a difficult task: it feels short in a good way without leaving the listener feeling gypped, and all I want to do is listen again and again. 2019 release from the Swedish metal trio.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. The Extremist
2. Änglamakerskan
3. Tub
4. Simian Laughter
5. Intrusive Pines
6. Kneeling Begging "Do It"
7. Craterface
8. They Shall Take up Serpents
9. Buy Punk Gloves
10. Don't Let Me In
11. The Three Beggars