Label : Profound Lore Records
Review by Luisa Merciwe
Grayceon is a three-piece progressive metal band from California that has just released its third album. To define them is quite difficult since their sound is quite unique: guitars, electric cello, drums and female vocals (sometimes screams) are the basics of their music style. You can think of something quite neoclassical, but it is not; they are quite heavy indeed. The guitar sound is close to doom metal since they are tuned down and create an interesting dissonance with the classical sound of cello. It is very apparent in the opener “Dreamer, Deceived” and in the 17 minutes-long “We Can”. Softer moments are also present, “2 Shellmounds” for example, which features an acoustic opening and then goes on in a continuous mixing of instruments. Absolutely fantastic are the last two minutes with Jackie Perez Gratz vocals soaring over the song. She can be harsh or sweeter but her alto vocals will always retain a certain edge, they are deep, dark. Overall the album is pure sound, a ongoing metaphorsis of instruments that chase each other following scores written with an apparent taste for challenge and creative adventure without losing sight on good songwriting. Now we can try to label their music as epic heavy metal, decadent sludge, chamber prog metal, as everything you want to, but we must state that are Grayceon skills that make great this record, heavyness and sweetness combined.
Rating – 80/100
Tracklist
- Dreamer Deceived
- Shellmounds
- We Can
- Once a Shadow
- Road Less Travelled
- War’s End
Line Up
- Max Doyle – Guitar & vocals
- Jackie Perez Gratz – Cello & vocals
- Zack Farwell – Drums & vocals
Links