Chaver - Of Gloom - Metal Epidemic

Chaver – Of Gloom
Release Date: 22nd September 2023
Label: BDHW
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Black Metal, Metallic Hardcore, Crust, Metal.
FFO: Ancst, DOGBITE, Fuming Mouth, Full Of Hell, Gatecreeper, Spinebreaker, Young And In The Way.
Review By: Mark Young

September is that funny month where it seems to be the unwanted house guest from Summer who doesn’t know its own mind. Hot or cold, wet or dry, it is the definition of a ‘meh’ month. Luckily for us, we are in a purple patch for new releases that come in and help with the fight against boring months. Chaver has one of those with Of Gloom, a relatively short blast of sometimes melodic, always heavy music that makes this September that little bit better.

Released via BDHW this is their third, following on from A Cellar Door (2020) and does exactly what you think it would do. Building with Throne that kicks into Of Filth, and that hardcore feel is there straight away. It’s energetic, pummelling and serves notice that they will change direction at any point, with a Black Metal drop in that continues in Turn to Skeletons. This is a band that is in a hurry to assault your ears but do not rely on the same approach, mixing in some class riffing but with that ever-present double bass motoring onwards. Tempos are mixed and on the shorter songs they are guilty of cramming a lot into a short space. Wanderer starts off with a bending moment, its runtime giving them room to breathe and mix those genres together. This is a stormer, absolute stormer. They continue this with In the Depths, blast beats and frenzied vocals just drive this one forward. Again, the length is spot on, just comes in and flattens for three minutes and away, leaving Eternal Night to occupy your ears with a riff heavy groove that mixes in hearty doses of blast beats. Simply brilliant.

They continue with this aural attack with a foot forward approach that hit with a one-two of Cries of Despair and Abysmal Maze which possess some fiendish melody parts, both are supremely built and set us up for the closing tracks, of which Everlasting Grief comes in and announces, ‘I am the highlight of this album’. It’s dripping in emotion, possessing the arrangement that makes the hair stand up. The album is a cracker but as I mentioned above, where they let the songs breathe, a little these seem to hit harder. Everlasting Grief just works so well because it’s just a little longer, but also because they have nailed that guitar movement so well. This is definitely worth your time and shows that there is a lot more to come from Chaver.