Style: deathcore, progressive metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Rivers of Nihil, King 810, Black Tongue, Slice the Cake
Country: US-IL
Release date: 14 August 2026

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It’s been a long seven years since Warforged released I: Voice, the Chicago outfit’s sprawling debut that established them as one of the more notable acts in progressive death metal with its blackened atmosphere, bristling dissonance, jazzy instrumentation, and borderline pathological commitment to its own enormous scope. The Grove | Sundial arrived three years later with a considerably leaner and more deathcore-oriented approach, shedding much of the murkiness of its predecessor while retaining the band’s taste for left-field arrangements and eclectic songwriting. And now, we have returned to The Grove with Almanac. The deathcore influence is stronger; the progressive elements have taken some rather unconventional forms; and Warforged once again have made a record that sounds like nobody else. At this point, I should have learned better than to expect them to make the same album twice. 

On The Grove | Almanac, Warforged employ a shiny brand of progressive deathcore that truly sounds like nothing else in the sub-genre. While I occasionally catch hints of bands like Black Tongue, King 810, and Rivers of Nihil thanks to the use of extremely diverse vocal techniques, try-hard (and potentially cringe) lyrics, and various eclectic proggisms, the final result of the Chicagoans’ pulling from such disparate influences is a sound wholly unto themselves and yet one that remains entirely unremarkable. Chug-heavy riffage collides with often grooveless and always stilted drumwork all atop a din of spooky samples that must’ve been recorded at an amateur jazz gig, pads of generic dissonant guitar, and a general laggardness courtesy of the band’s post-technical ethos. The sheer number of chug-based guitar lines on this album is actually absurd, and the issue is only exacerbated by the fact that the vocal rhythms rarely, if ever, deviate from the graticulated and oh so dependable grid of chugs. An album falling to the criticism of having “no good riffs” is all too common, but I don’t remember the last time I heard a death metal album that had songs with no riffs at all.

For the most part, the criticisms I outlined above apply to the entirety of The Grove | Almanac, but there are actually a few sparse moments of enjoyment to be gleaned from the album. The leads on tracks like “A Bustle in Your Hedgerow” and “Flourish in the Filth” are inspired, pushing out-of-the-box melodies and levity into their tracks without ever resorting to overt flashiness. And tracks like “Miserable No Life King” and “Streets” each contain beefy breakdowns that hit like a semi thanks to the album’s strong production and vast dynamic range. Still, the best moments on the album are the chiller—although I wouldn’t go so far as to say ballad—tracks in the form of “I Wish You Could Live Forever” and “Pathetic Wish” both of which find Warforged at their most inspired as serviceable (and remarkably Seal-like) clean vox, genuinely catchy guitar melodies, and momentous climaxes deliver music more akin to melodic metalcore or radio rock than anything death metal.

For a band that I once lauded for their innovative take on technical and dissonant death metal, it is odd that I now find their simplest and poppiest tracks the most engaging, but I do feel that it speaks to the greater issue with The Grove | Almanac and with Warforged’s current style of songwriting. The issue, simply put, is that the album too often mistakes activity for progression. The drums are busy; nary a moment passes without a new style of growl from the vocals; and there is always some spooky sound effect lurking in the bushes: yet I can count the number of genuinely memorable riffs on one hand. The end result is that the album’s best songs are the ones where Warforged stop trying to prove how progressive they are and just give the melody some room to breathe. While I would never describe The Grove | Almanac as boring, I sure wish it found its footing more often and gave me anything more than disappointment to remember.

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Recommended tracks: I Wish You Could Live Forever, Pathetic Wish, A Bustle in Your Hedgerow
You may also like: Pathogenic, Exuvial, Xenobiotic, Apogean
Final verdict: 4/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: The Artisan Era

Warforged is:
– Jason Nitts (drums)
– Alex Damske (bass, vocals, synth, programming)
– Jace Kiburz (guitars)
– Max Damske (guitars)
– Tim O’Brien (vocals)
With guests:
– Eddie Limperis (vocals)
– Eddie Gobbo (vocals)
– Danny Rodriguez (vocals)