The Beginning of Times
Upon hearing the debut, self-titled album by Craving, it was clear that Apostasy Records had to sign the band immediately. “Craving” was released on January 20, 2012 and marked the first release by the label.
Recorded in just 10 days in Dortmund, the album features 10 scorching tracks, with notable guest appearances from Helge Stang (formerly of Equilibrium) and Sole Genua (formerly of Human Factor).
The album was expertly mixed by Seeb of Orden Ogan, resulting in a polished and powerful sound.
Press
“A successful debut – now Craving have to further work out their existing originality.” – Sebastian Kesseler, Metal Hammer Germany
“[…] a perfectly harmonious disc, mixed and mastered by Orden Ogan frontman Sebastian Levermann. Thumbs up!” – Markus Wosgien, Atomic Fire Records
Over 45000 plays on Spotify since 2015
Over 150000 plays on Spotify since 2015
At Dawn they strike!
After hitting the scene with their debut album in 2012, Craving, hungry for more, crafted another album, to be called “At Dawn.” Producing a record for the first time in the history of Craving, Ivan, a Media Technology Engineer, produced this record together with Christoph Brandes (Necrophagist, Unlight, The Spirit) – who would become the band’s mixing and mastering engineer for years to come.
The album also featured amazing artwork by Andrej Bartulovic of All Things Rotten, who would become the band’s designer.
Working with talented musicians and engineers such as Chris Caffery (Savatage, TSO), Mark “Agalaz” Fehling (Obscurity), and Niels Löffler (Orden Ogan), this record was mixed and mastered by Christoph Brandes.
Released on October 11, 2013, by Apostasy Records, Craving embarked on their first European tour in support of the album.
Olga! Olga!
Unleashing a powerful storm of sound, ‘Olga’ (Рус: Сказания о святой Ольге) marked the triumphant return of Craving. Drawing inspiration from the poem of the silver age poet Nikolaj Gumilev, the lyrics of this short epic create an explosive performance at every Craving concert.
The iconic “Olga, Olga” scream, a call to be answered by the audience, will tear through your lungs and ignite an uncontrollable urge to jump, run and scream in circles.
Like a Valkyrie, she circles over your dead body, a memorable experience not to be missed. Join us for the powerful, adrenaline-pumping experience that is a Craving concert.
Targaryen Wrath
Daenerys Targaryen is unleashing her Targaryen Wrath, as her descent into madness begins. A melodic black and death metal epic, infused with a flurry of melodies and relentless blast beats awaits you.
Adding to this, the six-string master Chris Caffery of the legendary Savatage delivers a mesmerizing solo on this extreme death metal track, elevating the listening experience to new heights.
Returning the princess! Returning the beasts!
Sons of the Rebellion!
Tracing the path of retribution, Luke Skywalker and the Star Wars universe serves as a central theme on this fierce melodic death metal track.
Featuring majestic keyboards and hyperfast blast beats, this track is brutally melodic to the core and truly stands out in every live performance.
All three songs are an integral part of every Craving live show.
Despite being mistakenly labeled by some critics as a pagan metal band, those individuals likely never fully delved into the meaningful lyrics of the band.
Only Teardrops
Being ahead of their time, Craving embarked on a mission to cover a dreamy pop song and transform it to an angry Melodic Death Metal track.
This was done before the now famous YouTuber started covering pop music in a modern metal form.
Interestingly, many fans identify the band by this very cover – which was initially meant as a playful experiment, showcasing the band’s sense of humor and ability to push the limits. The cover is a testament to Craving’s dedication to experimentation and pushing the boundaries of metal music.
Press
“Very commercial, but also very well made.” – Rock Hard Germany
“CRAVING auferstehen und ebnet der noch am Anfang stehenden Truppen den Weg für zukünftige, glorreiche Taten.” – Daniel Rapp, Powermetal.de
“An album that every metal fan should have heard.” – Reaperzine.de
“The album takes you on a journey and the beauty of listening to it the first time is you do not know what is coming next.” – Brent Logan, Metal-Roos.com
Wielder of Storms EP
After releasing the EP “Wielder of Storms” on February 19.02 the band has completed a 10-day EU tour with the band Wolves Den.
After this, Craving has focused on the new chapter in terms of a full length album.
The EP was released by the Band on CD only,
without further doing of the former label Apostasy Records.
Press
“All in all, CRAVING have created an ode to the storm and wind with this EP that definitely proves itself.”
– Michel Weber, Silence-Magazin.de
“The guys were already on a beastly high level before, but can actually improve over and over again. CRAVING belong to the best German hard sausage acts for me. End.”
– Sascha S., Reaperzine.de
CD Only
Over 900000 plays on Spotify since 2016
By the Storm
The third record and the final installment in the Apostasy Records trilogy was released in 2016.
Delaying from the November date and ultimately cancelling the CD-Release party and CD-Release Concert.
After a small hiatus, the record was released on
16 December 2016.
The limited edition was released in 2017.
Nevertheless, ‘By the Storm’ marks the most successful Craving record to date, with almost a million plays on Spotify and over a hundred thousand views on YouTube.
Wielder of Storms
The first sign of life after the brutal but yet majestic record ‘At Dawn’ was the first Single of the Album and the title track of the EP Wielder of Storms.
The Single was released on February 19, 2016 marking the beginning of the Wielder of Stroms Tour 2016.
To this date, this is the most successful video by Craving. Black Metal mixed with Death Metal with a Power Metal Chorus a lá Blind Guardian.
This bundle of wicked energy is always played at every Craving show!
Wielder of Storms Tour 2016
After two successful tours through Europe in 2013 and 2015, Craving has embarked a ten days run together with the fellow Germans Wolves Den.
This tour marks the most successful tour in the books of Craving to date.
Four countries, 10 days, no remorse!
Spirits of the Dead
Filming two videos in one session, Spirits of the Dead, the Edgar Allan Poe influenced track was filmed.
At first this video was supposed to have a story part, but at the end of the day decided by the band to be released as performance only.
In this song, Craving showcase their Melodic Black Metal capabilities.
Penelope’s Prayer
As Odysseus was embarked on his Odyssey, so was Craving. Marking the return to form, this video was released in the aftermath of By the Storm.
Featuring Michelle Bouma (Ex-Asagraum) on guest vocals.
Filmed in the same session as ‘Spirits of the Dead’ this video got an epic story part from the TV Movie ‘The Odyssey’ by russian filmmaker Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky based on Homers epic poem Odyssey.
Don’t dwell in streams and soon find your way back home!
Press
“Craving deliver with “By The Storm” an impressive work that fits seamlessly into the series of previous releases. The band has not allowed itself to be pigeonholed so far and also this time the three guys just do what suits them. This approach suits the formation well and should further expand the fan base with the new record.” – Thomas Seitz, The-Pit.de
“A sleek production, a diversity of ideas, and interesting songwriting keep By the Storm afloat for its 72-minute span. Craving have slowly elevated themselves with each release, and even though it continues down a familiar pathway, the band has shown progression in the way that they craft songs at every stop along the way.” – Katharina McGinn, deadrhetoric.com
“CRAVING’s “By The Storm” is a well thought-out and written piece. It is even better as a living-breathing album. The musicianship in this album is pretty epic and the stories in the album are even better. I wouldn’t say this is a typical storybook album, but it does tell a story within its elements. If you like Epic Power Metal with a bit of Folk thrown in, you’ll enjoy this one.” – Jess, metal-temple.com