I might complain about how much the technical realm of technical death metal has been saturated, yet I can’t stop myself from checking out the newest underground releases from time to time. With some extremely memorable releases from the last month by Hellbore and Arkaik, Crater Lake seems to be the next name on the list. Hailing from Houston, the boys are trying to create their own mark in the tech-death realm, with their sound which is unique, but not quite away from their roots. Their latest EP “Barbarity of Creation” is the latest proof of their musical prowess and I’m here to discuss it.
The intro track “LEECH FEEDING” starts off with a serene piano intro, before bleeding in the high screeching blackened vocals accompanied by the dissonance filled riffs. The song-structure flows between sludgy passages and moments of fast techy riffs with blasting drums, almost reminiscent of Inferi and Demon King. “SERPENTINE TONGUE” can be described as a lethal blend of technical death with blackened death. With rapid blasts on drums with groovy guitar riffs, this one is a definite banger. While the lows are powerful enough to give you goosebumps, the highs just rips your soul from your body.
With a lot of dissonance elements, “ESTRANGED” creates an eerie vibe with moments of melancholy. The string bends, guitar squeals, whammy dives and the alien shreds - all add up to the eerie discomforting atmosphere of the track. Don’t miss you on the outro, cause it’s got some deathcore styled breakdowns to it! “CREATION” showcases choppy riffs with a dominating piano melody being the backbone. This one really deep-dives into the symphonic realm with atmospheric keyboard passages elevating the listening experience.
The guitar work, along with the bass on the record is absolutely bone-crushing. The melodic passages borrow influences from the realms of black metal, deathcore and sludge doom also. The drums do much of the heavy lifting to catch up to the ferocity of the riffs. While the lows on the vocals are definitely powerful, it is the screeching highs that catches my attention every time I listen to it. Along with all this, the presence of the atmospheric elements does add some extra melodic touches to it. Each of the members really shine with their musical prowess and capabilities. With this all being said, for the debut EP Crater Lake really does an outstanding job of providing all the necessary implementations in creating a memorable record. In short - it is fast, technical and brutal!
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Website: https://www.facebook.com/CRATERLAKEBAND936
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Worldwide Release: April 1st, 2022.
