Not everything in the old days was better, but different. If you have ever asked yourself why so many debut albums in the late ’80s and early ’90s are still convincing nowadays, in my opinion the fact that almost all bands played live and recorded demos for several years before releasing their first full-length is the reason. Competences increase through experience. When a band like GRIMGRAVE, about whom I have no further information other than the fact that they come from Poland, releases a complete album out of nowhere, I am always a bit skeptical. To be fair, I have to admit, because I am not a grumpy old man, bands often appear out of nowhere and know how to convince. The tense intro is followed by the eight-minute ‘Back To Caves’, which starts with pretty fast Black Metal, then goes into mid-tempo, where melodies unfold, with the expressive singing really great melodic Black Metal. From minute four the disappointment then follows, where the tempo is completely reduced and an atmospheric, quiet passage follows. Fortunately, the song returns to the path it had previously taken, but the middle part seems like a full stop. That is how I feel about the entire album, good moments alternate with passages that seem uninspired and therefore boring. To sum it up: necessary basic knowledge is available and the deficiencies especially regarding songwriting should be remedied in the foreseeable future. Melodic Black Metal fans should give “Caves & Woods” a listen nevertheless. https://grimgrave.bandcamp.com, www.facebook.com/ancientsoundsofmadnessproductions