Griever have been doing the rounds for the last couple of years. Determined to make a name for themselves, they’ve thrown themselves into touring and playing shows alongside the likes of Crossfaith and Being As An Ocean. They’ve honed their live sets and have taken this energy into the studio with them, which has seen them create their latest EP ‘Soul Searcher’.
Title-track ‘Soul Searcher’ is explosive; visceral, raw riffs combine with a mix of clean vocals and brutal screams. ‘Malevolent’ sees some incredible impressive vocal work from frontman David Seymour – they’re huge and crushing, and pack an incredibly powerful punch, while ‘Virulence’ shows off their flair for technical solos and heavy, bruising breakdowns.
Progressing through the EP, it becomes clear that Griever have taken influence from the likes of old-school Bullet For My Valentine and Atreyu; they crush speed and aggression together, which in turn creates hard-hitting, pummelling tracks. They’re a band who demand your attention and manage to instantly do so with screaming riffs and demonic-like drumming.
‘She Is Death’ and ‘Liberate’ are fuelled with adrenaline and monolithic riffs; both tracks are simply huge, and see Griever further establish themselves as a very accomplished metalcore act. And even now, upon listening to single ‘Pure Heart’, Griever show just how powerful they are with their emotive lyrics and melodic choruses – the chorus is simply stunning and really highlights how formidable David is as a vocalist.
‘Soul Searcher’ may be a rather brief release, but it’s a release that’s full of no-frills metalcore. It’s a release that should mark them as a band to be reckoned with within the alternative scene and rightly so. Things can only go up from here.
JESS TAGLIANI