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Warcrab Premiere “Unfurling Wings of Damnation” from Debut LP Damned in Endless Night

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Hail death! Hail Warcrab. Yes, it’s a silly name, but even a cursory investigation on who they are will turn up the fact that the brutalist sludge six-pack come from the UK, where we all know that a silly name is by no means a barrier against awesomeness. Transcending Obscurity Records will issue the Plymouth-based troupe’s debut album, Damned in Endless Night, on Aug. 30, and thereby unfurl 10 tracks and 52 minutes of deathly churn and morose atmosphere, the guitars of Geoff HolmesPaul “Budgie” Garbett and Leigh Jones (not the same Leigh Jones who was in Groan; different guy) leading the way through the Heartwork-esque “Halo of Flies” and “In the Arms of Armageddon” after the intro “Perpetua” as an initial salvo that rounds out with “Blood for the Blood God,” a slower round of punishment that speaks to some of the record’s more doomed aspects but remains dynamic and malleable in its tempo, finishing with energetic chug. Vocalist Martyn Grant has an enviable rasp that is utterly vicious, and with bassist Dave “Guppy” Simmonds and drummer Rich Parker setting the rhythms he follows, Warcrab sound all the more lethal in their execution across the album’s universally nasty span. They’re not the first band in the world to blend death metal and sludge, but their take on the style feels particularly dug in and righteously heinous.

That’s perhaps most true of all on Damned in Endless Night‘s longer songs, the eight-minute “Abyssal Mausoleum” and the 7:34 “Unfurling Wings of Damnation.” Both make their way from grueling riffs to more straight-up death metal fare, but the path they take to do so emphasizes the harsh vision driving their work in the first place, “Abyssal Mausoleum” seeming to pull itself apart before the kick drum signals the shift that will define the song’s second half. The two pieces are divided by the rampaging “Magnetic Fields of Collapse” and the surprisingly swinging “Kraken Arise,” which are the two shortest inclusions on the record — intro “Perpetua” and outro “Damnati” notwithstanding — and are all the more immersive for that ahead of the chanting “Swords,” which rounds out ahead of that finishing solo that is “Damnati.” The underlying impression there is that Warcrab have arranged Damned in Endless Night as a two-sided LP with side A providing the initial burst and side B expanding the context from there — though one could easily argue that begins on side A as well if “Abyssal Mausoleum” closes that out, which I suspect it does.”

Either way, the prevailing sentiment is slow-motion ferocity and while Warcrab aren’t nearly so violent-feeling as some in the sludgy vein, their songs carry a melancholic feel emphasized by Holmes‘ lead guitar that speaks to the UK’s long legacy of emotive doom-making. That too only enriches the overall listening experience, and though Damned in Endless Night makes for a long LP with its 52-minute run, the slog is part of the aesthetic and feels entirely purposeful in that. One might say it’s not for the faint of heart just for its basic foundation in the extreme end of metal and sludge, but the truth is no matter how pummel-prone they might be, Warcrab never lose their expressive sensibility, and the atmosphere of Damned in Endless Night becomes consuming and nightmarish in kind. “Kraken Arise,” indeed.

Below, you can stream the premiere of “Unfurling Wings of Damnation” from Damned in Endless Night. Once again, the album is out Aug. 30. PR wire info follows.

Enjoy:

Monolithic UK death/sludge metal band WARCRAB return with a brand new release of unbelievable heaviness and groove. Carrying on where they last left with their unique blend of down-tuned sludge and ponderous death metal, ‘Damned in Endless Night’ is where they flesh it out and leave no room for doubt on the efficacy of this powerful and cohesive fusion of underground styles. Equipped with three guitarists emphasizing on mostly heaviness, the music is not only soul-crushing but also brilliantly composed and memorable. Each song adds its own value to the album and is irreplaceable and multiple listens, however devastating, will only attest to that fact. This long-awaited full length from the band is arguably the band’s best release to date. The juggernaut is in motion and unstoppable.

Releases August 30, 2019.

Line up –
Martyn Grant – Vocals
Rich Parker – Drums
Paul “Budgie” Garbett – Guitar
Leigh Jones – Guitar
Geoff Holmes – Lead Guitar
Dave “Guppy” Simmonds – Bass

Warcrab on Thee Facebooks

Warcrab on Bandcamp

Transcending Obscurity Records on Thee Facebooks

Transcending Obscurity website

Transcending Obscurity Records on Bandcamp

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