CRAVING was born in 2005 in North Germany, under another alias. In 2006, the band changed their name to its current ideation and released their debut demo. After some lineup changes and an EP release, the band released their self-titled debut full-length album 2012. Their sophomore effort was released in 2013, and they released an EP "Wielder of Storms" in 2016. Also, in 2016, they released their third full-length album "By The Storm". "By The Storm" comes in with fourteen tracks and a listening time of just over an hour and seventeen minutes.

The opening track, "Fulgur Immortale" is a one-minute beauty. There are tones of Folk and a just a little touch Symphonic Metal. This track is subdued and low energy but creates a beautiful backdrop for the rest of the album. "By Storm" comes screaming in your typical Power Metal approach with the speedy drums, a thick bass and those shrieking guitars. There are interesting pauses in the onslaught to show case an acoustic flare. This only adds to the character and flow of the track. The vocals are gritty, but have fascinating range. The guitar solo late in minute two is powerful yet elegant.
Track two, "Cave Of A Dream" comes in a bit lower, but still screaming with power and authority. The accent is thick and we get to hear a more powerful growl and gut-rumbling vocal. We also get another taste of Folk-ish vocals. The drums again have speed, but not only speed; there are some pretty distinct rhythm changes that are executed well. The guitars and bass stay relatively low apart from the early four-minute guitar blitz.

"Penelopes Prayer" starts off with a Folk acoustic guitar and piano, but quickly moves into the power that lies within. They do keep sections of the track devoted to a lighter more prayer-inducing feel, but then we have a drum that is implacably crafted, a bass that helps centralizes the track and guitars that shred hard. The solo, while not new, is fabricated well. There are female vocals that give the clean and the growled vocals wonderful contrast.

Track six, "Seven Steps To Darkness", is all about those guitars. They are first thing you hear and the last thing you experience before the track change. While the beginning is much more rich, this entire track is saturated with guitar love. About the two-minute mark you get a different feel from the guitars, yet interestingly perfectly fit. The drums blast your face off and if you aren't careful, the guitars will shred what is left. However, there is also a chunky bass buried deep with in the track that isn't to be ignored.

"Eyes Of Winter", track eight, is a softer track with cryptic clean vocals, however, those guttural growls are perfectly placed in the background, creating a glorious contrast. About mid way through, those guttural growls get some shine time on their own. The guitars really get to show off in this track. There is so much to hear that it takes multiple listens to get the full effect. This is truly a masterful track. Each piece intricately interlaced with the rest.

Track eleven, "Wielder Of Storms", is the battle track (not that there aren't others on this album but this one just stands out). Everything about this track screams, we're going into battle and we will massacre everything in our way. The Power Metal furry rings out, and the Folk elements, as with the rest of the album, create that classic fantasy epic battle scene. Let's go on an adventure? This track will help take you there.

The final track of the regular album "The Fountain Of Memory" is beautiful. The guitar work is top notch and the drums are phenomenal. They are able to truly showcase how they are able to change rhythm in an instant. The bass helps keep the tone deep and saturated. This track is a glorious outro to an epic battle album.

There is a "Game Of Thrones (theme)" cover that is badass. The band uses George R.R. Martin, as a bit of a muse, so creating this cover is sort of an ode to the one who inspires the music behind this album. The final track, "Torn Apart", doesn't really fit production wise. The sound is a bit muffled and off. However, the musicianship is still there and at a high level. I really enjoy the vocals on this track.

CRAVING's "By The Storm" is a well thought-out and written piece. It is even better as a living-breathing album. The musicianship in this album is pretty epic and the stories in the album are even better. I wouldn't say this is a typical storybook album, but it does tell a story within its elements. If you like Epic Power Metal with a bit of Folk thrown in, you'll enjoy this one.