War Grave are a new British heavy metal band. There’s even a small link to classic NWOBHM: vocalist Roman Kańtoch spent a year with More from 2022 to 2023—the band fronted by Paul Mario Day, Iron Maiden’s first singer, after his brief stint in Maiden. The link isn’t huge, but it’s there. After a run of singles and an EP last year, “Free Will” is the band’s debut album.
We’re dealing with classic, melodic heavy metal wrapped in a very polished production. The band are clearly talented—the performances show it—but they’re not yet strong songwriters. Much of this feels toothless, with few melodies or riffs that stick even after multiple listens. In fact, they’re at their best on the epic power ballad “Light ’Em Up”, which boasts strong vocal lines and a few neat tempo shifts. War Grave plainly have potential and the ability to make good music, but as a whole “Free Will” doesn’t quite land.
Released September 26th, 2025 independently.
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