Casket Dweller have been active in Athens since 2022 and their ranks include people we know from the thrashers Exarsis and Extreme Violence. «River of Slumber» is their first full-length album and their sound looks straight back to the early ’90s.
Country: Greece (Athens)
Genre: Old-school death metal (Swedeath, HM-2)
For fans of: Asphyx, Morgoth, Entombed
The album
The material has the weight of prime Asphyx and Morgoth, with the HM-2 sound up front and an atmosphere that smells of terror. Cemeteries, creatures and wizards pass through the lyrics, on an album that keeps the rules of the genre without staying at imitation.
«He Rows» is one of the first tracks on the album and the trio gives its own explanation: the story is told from the side of death itself, who rows his boat to carry the dead to the other shore. He curses and envies those he carries, because he is bound to his fate forever. The narration is written like gothic poetry and speaks of the endless cycle of life and death. As they say themselves, every track on the album tells its own story, with the structure set up like a film script.
Watch one of the tracks that preceded the album:
Our take
The album isn’t satisfied with the aesthetic of the era. The production gives volume to the drums without burying the guitars, and the trio finds room for tempo changes that keep the interest up. By Greek standards, it’s one of the most serious works of the scene in recent years.
See also: Exile of Heaven – Tides of Destiny | Shabti – Haze, Cacophony, and White Light
