Gravehammer: Primordial Principles | Fundamental Forces (2019)

I'm pretty sure the title of this EP is actually longer than the EP itself.  This is the third and, thus far, most recent release by the German band.  It is made up of four songs and lasts just under 17 minutes.

This release takes on more of a death/doom vibe, with opening track "White Void" sounding like something that Asphyx or Autopsy would have produced.  The release mostly continues along that vein, eschewing the catchiness of the previous two releases in favor of a heavier, more aggressive sound.  The doom metal influences are also much more prominent on this release.  Gravehammer occasionally slows things way down to a crawl, something they did not do often on the previous releases.  "Solum Aeternum" still possesses most of the characteristics of the previous releases, but by and large this one sounds quite different.  The vocals have also changed, taking a much more gruff approach most of the time, but adding some blackened rasps as well.

This release finds Gravehammer evolving into more of a death/doom sound.  Most of the black metal elements have been erased, with the exception of the occasional vocal, and a lot of the rumbling catchiness is also gone.  What is left is a band very much in the vein of the aforementioned Asphyx and Autopsy.  This is not a bad thing, but I wonder if the band has lost some of their identity here.