ADMIRE THE GRIM were formed in 2021 and they are from Lappeenranta, Finland. After releasing three singles in 2021, the melodic Death Metal outfit released their debut EP which was recorded by Onni Lappalainen at Crane Studio, and mixed and mastered by Saku Moilanen (HORIZON IGNITED; WOLFHEART) at Deep Noise Studios. It has a length of more than 16 minutes, and it was released via Finnish melodic Death Metal, symphonic Metal, and Gothic Metal label Inverse Records.

The EP consists of four tracks, two of them were already released as singles. Among them is the opener "The Flood", which is the first song ADMIRE THE GRIM had ever written. "The Flood" has a strong start with catchy riffing, great melodies with the lead guitars, and it has pace and dynamics. The drumming comes with a lot of double bass, in particular during the opening part. The vocals are predominantly growls, ranging from the deep to the medium end of the guttural range, but Katri Snellman includes also clean vocals. Her growling vocals are very powerful, and she keeps the track very well together. The lead guitars are driving the song, they are, alongside the drums, the leading instrument. "The Flood" is a very good opener of the EP. "Mad Queen Of The Second Sun" is one of the previously unreleased tracks. It seamlessly continues with the sound of "The Flood". The track leans a bit more towards mid-tempo with a few twists in rhythm. The song has more aggression and the riffing is a bit more direct. The melodies are carried by the lead guitars, and the lead guitar solos are very comprehensive including some twin guitar parts. "Mad Queen Of The Second Sun" is again very much driven by the lead guitars.

The song "Admire The Grim" starts as a classical melodeath song at mid-tempo with epic and catchy melodies. The vocals are a mixture of clean and growling vocals. While I like the clean vocals during the chorus parts, I thought the cleans at the beginning of the track did not fit in very well. Highlight of "Admire The Grim" is the lead guitar solo. While the track certainly has its moments, altogether it cannot keep up with the first two tracks of the EP. The title song "Rogue Five" is the fastest track on the EP. It has everything of a good melodeath song: speed, aggression, and great melodies. The guitar riffing is tight, there is lots of double-bass drumming, and the growls are aggressive. The vocals during the chorus parts are supported by background vocals. The lead guitars give a counterpoint to the aggressiveness of the riffing, drumming, and vocals with their melodies. There is no need to mention that the lead guitar solo is, yet again, highlight of the track. "Rogue Five" is the official video release and the YouTube link is given below.

ADMIRE THE GRIM have a good start to their career. "Rogue Five" is a first indication what ADMIRE THE GRIM is able to bring to the table: classical melodic Death Metal with modern influences. The sound of "Rogue Five" is driven by the melodies of the lead guitars and a powerful vocalist. Based on the four songs, there is an indication that the band has also variety in their sound. Vocalist Katri Snellman has not only versatility in her growls, but she also adds clean vocals and with that an additional layer to the sound. The EP is well produced. It is still early days but ADMIRE THE GRIM show that they have lots of potential and fans of melodic Death Metal and modern Metal will surely dig the songs on "Rogue Five". It is a good start of a promising band, and I will be excited to listen to a full-length album in the future.