Craetor are a three-piece stoner rock band from Western Massachusetts and Surrender is their latest EP, released on 31/05/2023. I reviewed their previous EP Keystone Sessions Volume 1, and the main difference between the two is that this one features vocals, straight away showing how diverse they are.

With the same fuzziness that the previous EP had, this is not just a stoner band, as they have taken influence from a wide range of genres including doom, punk, psychedelia, and grunge.

With heavy distortion being used on the guitars, the riffs have a raw sound and feedback is used to add to the stoner effect. Once again, the solos are perfectly phenomenal and a great addition to the stomping, pounding riffs.

The drumming is punk-like, very raw, and brutal, and carried out with a lot of energy, as indicated by the ton load of crashing cymbals throughout.

Now the vocals on this EP are very distinctive. A mixture of singing, albeit quite distorted, and screams and growls, they give the EP a whole different feel than the previous one had. The singer has a strong, very diverse voice as he switches from one style to another seamlessly and with ease and is a great accompaniment to the music side of things.

Adding vocals to this EP, where they were missing on the previous, really shows what this band can do, and what they do, they do well. The EP is atmospheric, the awesome mix of genres really creating a great ambient feel.

So, if you are a fan of doom, psychedelia, stoner, punk, or grunge rock then check out Craetor. They are a great band and one that should get out to as many people as possible.

Awesome job!

Track Listing:

1) Intro

2) Riot

3) Stone

4) Wretch

5) Wither

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum