EP: “Griever” by Griever

Hard hitting metal bands seem to be spawning more frequently at late on the south coast, as Griever have recently emerged as one of the latest bands this year to skate on the thin ice of the Dorset metal scene. After a series of support slots to bands such as Brotherhood of the Lake, radio play for their first singles and a growing fan base, this EP has received a decent amount of hype building up to its release.

First impressions; the recording quality is a bit scuzzy. I’m listening through high quality Bose headphones (just to point that out) yet it sounds like I’ve downloaded the EP off a YouTube converter (if this was intentional, ignore that sentence). If you look beyond this, their sound is impressive. They manage to fuse brutal riffs and intricate solos with bludgeoning breakdowns to create a sound almost worthy of the bands dominating their genre. Their clean vocals aren’t the cliché, auto tuned, and American accent impersonating offering which many in their bracket abide by, which is refreshing and shows pride for their Dorset roots (good lads). The EP continues to remain hard hitting throughout, but I do find my attention wandering at times.

So the final verdict is; their songs are well written, their first year as a band has already led to the creation of an impressive sound, but the average recording quality and an occasional tendency to be a bit predictable may have wounded their chances of making a break through this record. It may sound harsh considering their recent arrival on the scene, but in a genre which is so often dominated by bands replicating carbon copies of their superiors; you need to ensure that you stand out. Griever are not a carbon copy, but they should look to invest in some industry standard recordings to let their true colours show.

Links
https://www.facebook.com/grieverofficial
http://www.youtube.com/grieverUK
https://twitter.com/#!/GrieverUK
http://grieveruk.bandcamp.com/album/griever-ep

Words by George Fullerton.