Crawl – Altar of Disgust

Crawl has been busy lately. Following a lively split with Feral, it’s clear that they’re riding the wave of the new generation of old-school Swedish Death Metal bands emerging from (surprise!) Sweden. So yes, this is an extended version of the retro Metal that many have been enjoying lately. However, instead of more Immolation, you get more Entombed in your mix. But we’re not here to talk about Crawl; we’re here to discuss Altar of Disgust and determine if it has something new to offer or if it ends up being a derivative endeavor.

Crawl is pure, unadulterated rage. There’s no room for sentimentality in its music. Altar is exactly what you’d expect: direct to the point, and more consistent than a Cannibal Corpse album. It’s precisely what you anticipate from old-school Swedish Death Metal: disgusting and crusty. Like the gunk that gets stuck in your coffee maker every morning while you wonder where it all went wrong. When did you lose that spark and become just another cog in the machine?

It wouldn’t be a retro-Swedish album if it didn’t have that sound—the guitar nerds know what I’m talking about—the Boss HM-2W; the chainsaw. But I must say, Crawl gives it a more Crust-Punk twist to its sound by keeping all the tracks ridiculously short and the transitions to a minimum. Before you get excited about the brevity and focus of Altar, there are a few things you should consider.

You’re not getting much variety here. This album is the equivalent of a deadlift session: brutal and intense, but not exactly creative in its execution. We’ve had an avalanche of Metal that sounds exactly like Crawl, so you’re not diving into original territory here. It’s fun and entertaining, but I have a hard time picking out the most memorable parts because I’ve heard it all before.

Either way, if you just want to have fun and feel like you’re tossing the coffee maker out of the window in a futile rebellion against adulthood, then this is the album for you. Just remember to adjust your expectations.

Label: Transcending Obscurity

Release date: 3 May, 2024

Website: https://www.facebook.com/CRAWLSWE/

Country: Sweden

Score : 3.5/5.0