I love the smell of death metal in the morning. Coming from Sweden? Even sweeter. That’s what we’ve got on the boil this morning, and we couldn’t be more pleased to be exclusively premiering a brand new track from Crawl’s upcoming debut full-length Rituals, “Coven of Servants”. You like your death metal crusty, high-octane, and full of rage? You’ve come to the right place.
For those unfamiliar with the band, Crawl consist of former members of Discarnate, Demonical, and Decomposed, and play a brand of hard-hitting Swedeath that takes the more traditional tropes of the subgenre and melds them with crust and hardcore elements. For those who are about to stream to the exits at even the mere mention of hardcore and death metal together, deathcore this most assuredly is not. Adhering to that good ol’ Gothenburg formula, this is the type of Swedeath that would make 90s At the Gates proud. It’s fast, mercilessly aggressive, and buzzsaw sharp. “Coven of Servants” is the album’s grand finale, and what an ending it is. M. Sjögren’s guitars battle for supremacy against A. Batar’s excellent drum work, culminating in some of the heaviest sounds this area of death metal can be expected to produce. This duel of titans also highlights the band’s mix of styles impeccably as well, as the punk-infused drumming works in tandem with some fairly straightforward Swedeath riffing, allowing each element to complement and punish in equal measure. J. Lyngfelt’s vocals don’t slouch through this track either, tearing through the riff fest like a demented apex predator. It’s a meaty meal indeed.
If you like Swedeath, you will love Crawl. “Coven of Servants” is just the tip of the iceberg regarding all the goodness Rituals has to offer. So drink deep of the bloody goblet and let the Swedeath flow through you. Look for Rituals on August 20th through the incomparable Transcending Obscurity Records, and pre-order it here.