WAR GRAVE were formed in 2021 and they are from London, UK. They play a mixture of Thrash, Power, and Heavy Metal. Their self-named debut EP was produced by Charlie Wilson at Monolith Studios in London. It has a length of about 27 minutes. The EP is an independent release. The EP starts fast and aggressive with the title song. While the guitar riffing is tight and traditional Thrash Metal riffing, the vocals have a lot of Heavy and Power Metal vibes. The vocals are clean and vary between the medium to higher end of the vocal range. The track has an extended mid-tempo break with powerful riffing and a contributing lead guitar solo. In fact, there are multiple solos as halfway through the dynamics of the track completely changes and what started as a fast Thrash song converted into a ballad during the second half of the track. “War Graves” is the official video release, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Enchained” is a mid-tempo track with many Heavy Metal vibes for most of the time. There is a short part at crazy pace with flesh-ripping Thrash riffs, however, the track has a lot of Power Metal elements with the double-bass drumming and the high modulation of the vocals at times.

“Witch” is also a mid-tempo track and a mixture of Heavy and Power Metal. The vocals sound a bit more aggressive at times and there is a lot of background vocal support. Highlight of the track is the very contributing lead guitar solo. “Revenge Is Near” is a mixture between mid-tempo and fast pace parts. The riffing is powerful, the basslines are crushing, and the melodies are dark. The vocals use many deeper notes during most of the track. There is an extended break leading to the cool lead guitar solo that gives the song an extra dimension. The final song “Price To Pay” starts with almost melancholic melodies, transitioning into a mid-tempo track thunderous guitar riffing. While the first half of the track cannot quite keep up with the EP tracks, the song finishes strongly with the fast and aggressive Thrash Metal break including a final contributing lead guitar solo.

WAR GRAVE release an interesting mixture of Power and Thrash Metal with a few Heavy Metal vibes. “War Grave” has its strengths in the fine guitar work, both in terms of riffing and solos. Bass and drums deliver a solid foundation, while the vocals keep everything nicely together. There is still room for improvement in the songwriting as some of the songs were quite lengthy and I also had the impression that too many ideas were put into the songs at times. The EP is well produced. The debut EP of WAR GRAVE is promising, but the real test is the debut full-length album. Until then, it is surely worth to keep an eye on WAR GRAVE.