Light Behind a Shadow…
Chrome Waves Review & Giveaway!

CVLT Nation is giving away a test press of the debut Chrome Waves – email contest@cvltnation.com with “chrome waves” in the subject to enter between now and Monday, July 2nd! Release date for Chrome Waves is July 3rd, 2012, and it’s available for pre-order at Gravedancer Records. Check out our review below, and a full stream of the album!

A ‘supergroup’ of sorts, Chrome Waves sees members of The Atlas Moth, Nachtmystium, and Wolvhammer come together for the release of their debut self-titled EP. Very much mixing the flair of their respective bands, this EP had every right to be an impressive effort however hype could very well have dealt it a cruel hand, though mercifully it didn’t happen because Chrome Waves is one of the most impressive EP efforts of 2012 so far. At its core, Chrome Waves are black metal, that’s not up for debate, but the sheer melody and almost post rock arrangements has given the band a whole new depth. The ethereal artwork certainly portrays the serene and atmospheric side of Chrome Waves while Stavros Giannopolous’s searing shriek is totally at odds with it and the dichotomy conjured as a result of that is what keeps this short 28 minute effort interesting from start to finish.

[audio:http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/01 Hearts Over Feathers.mp3|titles=Chrome Waves – Hearts Over Feathers]
[audio:http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/02 Height of the Rifles.mp3|titles=Chrome Waves – Height of the Rifles]
[audio:http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/03 Light Behind a Shadow.mp3|titles=Chrome Waves – Light Behind a Shadow]
[audio:http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/04 Eyelids of Dawn .mp3|titles=Chrome Waves – Eyelids of Dawn]
[audio:http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/05 That Cursed Armored Train.mp3|titles=Chrome Waves – That Cursed Armored Train]
[audio:http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/06 Blackbird.mp3|titles=Chrome Waves – Blackbird]

“Hearts over Feathers” lays out a tranquil introduction to this record that gives way to the caustic sounds of “Height of the Rifles” as it trounces through vicious verses of both unrelenting drums and gripping guitar flourishes swanning overhead. There’s a raw emotion here that recalls the gloom of early Paradise Lost and Anathema records, a poignancy that’s totally enthralling and no more so than in “Light Behind a Shadow” – truly the glimmering jewel in this crown. Beginning with slower mid tempo BM melancholia, the song scales and scales to a jaw dropping and beautifully melodious crescendo as Giannopolous agonisingly screams over the sprawling aural vista created. The track really captures all of Chrome Waves’ strengths perfectly as the black metal that formed their musical journeys blossoms into a being almost of a different life force.

This is only an EP and one is left feeling that this is a band with a lot more to say and do, an itch that can only really be scratched by the release of an album. But for now, Chrome Waves have released a staggering first effort with ideas bursting the seams. This is some of the finest melodic black metal you’ll hear this year with crushing classic black metal moments that nod to the more orthodox way of thinking while vibrant amounts of ethereal melody also rear their heads plenty of times like the slickly executed “That Cursed Armored Train”. Then concluding with the imposing “Blackbird” instrumental moving between spectral acoustic layers and dizzying lead guitars, Chrome Waves’ EP, again, feels criminally short but leaves with an invigorating salvo of perhaps more around the corner soon.