Vore – ‘Gravehammer’

This fourth album from the Arkansas trio – originally self-released last year and now re-issued on AFM Records – is a damn fine slice of doom-laden death metal, which grabs you instantly and beats you into submission, track after track, with its atmospheric, melodic brutality.

Veering more towards the doom end of the spectrum than the breakneck riffing of thrashier DM – although there is some pretty insane blast beating, such as on the hard-hitting opener ‘The Cruelest Construct’ and the punishing yet majestic title track, while the excellent ‘Doomwhore’ also features a pretty speedy guitar line – it’s an album characterised by its intensity and its dark broodiness.

All three musicians turn in excellent performances. Drummer Remy Cameron is a true master of his craft, one moment letting rip with the ferocity of a tsunami, the next holding back with a restraint that makes the subsequent fury all the more impressive. He is more than ably support by Jeremy Partin’s exemplary bass work, which matches the sticksman’s concrete solid contribution. Upfront, guitarist/vocalist Page Townsley delivers a towering performance in both regards: his riffs by turn brutal and melodic, his solos at once fiery yet delivered with concise precision, and his vocals sounding like they have been dragged from the very depths of hell itself.

If you like Nile, this is one album you definitely track down.

7.5/10

‘Gravehammer’ is out now on AFM Records.