Grue – Casualty of the Psychic Wars (2013)

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Arriving from American label Eternal Death, today we have a duo from Boston named Grue. In their debut full-length record “Casualty of the Psychic Wars”, the pair delivers five crushing tracks of highly atmospheric and devastating USBM. Mixing blistering passages of furious Black Metal with more mellow and powerful atmospheric sections, this is one excellently constructed release that will immediately put the band on the map.

Opening with the album title track, we get a whirlwind vibe that reminds us of BM outfits Mortualia, Algazanth, and Sargeist. The riffing is quite primitive and the distortion nicely creates a thick layer of decadence in the music. Changing the tempo of things, “Calling down the Stars” continues the aural onslaught with fast paced drumming and very interesting atmospheric interludes that feature some spoken word sections.

The album nicely shifts into first gear with the atmospheric “Lament of the spheres”, a song that does a great job in breaking up the flow of the release and keeps the listener guessing what is coming up next. “In the house of nemesis” we have a slower start to things, but after a few minutes the band explodes with punishing riffs that remind us of USBM legend(s) Judas Iscariot.

Closing the release with the experimental “They who walk behind the skies”, we are left intrigued by all the different elements presented here that completely change the course of how the first four tracks present the band’s sound. Here we have a dreamier opening with a cleaner and more Blackgaze/Post-Black Metal sound thrown into the mix. Of course there are furious Black Metal passages, but the general direction of the music falls under the ‘old’ Alcest / Austere.

As a whole, “Casualty of the Psychic Wars” is a powerful release that shows great promise from Grue. The initial four songs have that punishing USBM atmosphere we all love, but the last track highlights the potential future direction of the band and their ambition to push their sound further. If you are a fan of highly atmospheric (without keyboards or any gimmicks) Black Metal, look no further and check out this fine album.

Band: Grue Album: Casualty of the Psychic Wars

Label: Eternal Death

Release: December 16th, 2013

Oficial Site Social Media

Genre: US Black Metal

Country: USA

Rating: 89/100
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