Reviews

Castle Grayskull Releases Music After 15 Year Hiatus: Album Review "To Live As Brutes"

Modern Myspace Era Metalcore!?

by The Metalverse

Updated May 19, 2025

Castle Grayskull Release Remastered Edition of Album "To Live As Brutes" | The Metalverse.net

Castle Grayskull is a metalcore act hailing from Fairmont, West Virginia recognized for their presence during the Myspace era. From 2009-2012 the band was signed to Standy Records and Castle Grayskull is releasing music for the first time in 15 years.

The band's 2010 debut album To Live As Brutes has been fully re-mastered and will be rereleased on May 23rd, 2025.

You can also stream the band's latest single Spliced With Tiger DNA here.

Castle Grayskull is also currently working on new material with plans to release later this year. You can also listen to the remastered version of Mad Katz out today before the album's release.

Review

We also got the chance to listen to the entirety of To Live As Brutes ahead of release and share our thoughts:

After a brief intro featuring countless news reporters covering negative media stories, Castle Grayskull launches into the first taste of full-length tracks, quickly showcasing frantic pacing, progressive metalcore riffs, and explosively heavy down-tempo breakdowns. Ferocious vocals take the forefront while orchestral elements, dark piano, and synths add melody and intricacy to the band's diverse musical soundscapes. Castle Grayskull quickly sets themselves apart, showcasing not only an ability to create traditional metal heaviness but also wildly interesting atmospheres that utilize theatrical electronic elements.

Castle Grayskull captures a striking balance between nostalgic Myspace era metalcore and modern metalcore with excellent production, mixing clarity while staying true to a classic sound. Just because Castle Grayskull pays homage to the classics doesn't mean they sound stale or overplayed–To Live As Brutes is, in fact, quite the opposite; refreshing, wildly interesting, and distinct.

While tracks like Mad Katz and Snake Venom take an electro-metalcore sound that features a wide array of instruments, other songs like Krant Sinatra and Black Swan Waits For No One verge towards a more traditional death metal or early deathcore sound, showcasing an entirely different side of the band's sound and keeping things fresh throughout the album.

We love the balance that Castle Grayskull nests into, just between raw and polished–creating a sound that respects the roots of the album's origin while sticking with the times.

Spider Fights even features some of the most brutal breakdowns of the album (if you are looking for down-tempo, make sure to check this one out).

Overall, Castle Grayskull's remastered edition of To Live As Brutes is an exciting announcement that OG Myspace era fans will love while also opening up the band to a new audience of fans.

⭐

Rating: 8.75 / 10 - Castle Grayskull takes listeners back to the golden era of 2010's metalcore while keeping all the polish of modern metal.