CRAVE – Oblivion

Some bands fail to get it right on their first album and unfortunately, Crave are one of those bands that fall into that category. Before continuing, let’s back up a bit. Crave were formed in Trondheim, Norway by guitarist Tron Sturle Aune and bassist Nils Morten Bietnes. They bonded over their love of late ‘70s and early ‘80s music from the likes of Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and Glenn Hughes. After their previous group, Cameltoe, came to an end, Aune and Bietnes decided to form a new group together. They eventually found drummer Kjetil Krangsas through YouTube and were quickly drawn to his musicality, only solidified by their mutual connections in the Trondheim music scene. Vocalist Jan Arild Rostad was the last to join Crave.

A Band That’s Halfway There

Mixed and mastered by George Nerantzis, the goal for Crave’s debut studio album, Oblivion (2024), was to create a record filled with late ‘70s / early ‘80s Heavy Rock bangers. The results were somewhat amusing. The opening title track is a decent rocker with simple drumwork and a semi-tasteful guitar riff. “Fallen Angels” is a satisfying mid-tempo rocker with a nice groove and a bluesy guitar solo. “Chain Reaction” is another banger with a killer groove and a funky bass line. “Through the Fire” is a dark and moody track that goes slightly on the verge of Doom Metal. Another highlight of the album is “Baby” and no, it’s not the Justin Bieber song. It has more Doom Metal vibes than Pop vibes, fortunately.

Final Assessment

Besides the questionable song titles, the album’s production is horrible. It’s hard to make out the lyrics because Rostad’s vocals are so muddy. The guitars don’t have enough edge to them and the drums are really raw. The songs sound underworked like they’re demos; that’s how bad the production is. They’re actually decent tracks, but they lack the attentive factor to keep listeners interested. It’s all based on perspective, though. With all that said, there’s always room for improvement.

Album Tracklist

1. Oblivion
2. Baby
3. The Spirit of Maze
4. Fallen Angels
5. Hole in the Wall
6. Chain Reaction
7. In the Shadow of the Moon
8. Watchdog
9. Through the Fire
10. Apache Nation
11. Sons of Anarchy
12. Urge

Band Lineup

Jan Arild Rostad – lead vocals
Tron Sturle Aune – guitars
Nils Morten Bietnes – bass guitar
Kjetil Krangsas – drums