Grid – The World Before Us
Grid – The World Before Us
Self-Released
27/07/2024
Running Time: 38.25
Review by Oli Gonzalez
7/10
Grid. North American Post-Metal act on the eve of their latest record ‘The World Before Us’, described by the band as ‘a sci-fi themed concept album about what mankind’s real purpose is on this planet’. That’s deep. As if you’d expect anything else from a Post-Metal act, where pushing limits and expanding boundaries is central to the genre’s concept. How will this transfer into the band’s music and sound? Let’s find out…
Theatrical is the opening to the album, something that belongs on a movie soundtrack. Maybe the opening to a sci-fi movie? Either way, it’s got my curiosity peaked and sets a tone and anticipation for the rest of the album.
Next up, ‘Our History Hidden’. Featuring a Gojira-esque opening (much like that off the French band’s hit Flying), the tension is expertly crafted and built up through an austere and intimidating raft of guitars. Then the vocals kick in. I get a clever story-telling, narrative vibe here, with each lyric having a deeper meaning and uttered with a ravage of emotion and sentiment. I admire how they sit back and allow the music to do the talking in long instrumental passages. After all, scarcity has value and they clearly understand this principle. Then we come on those harsher growls. Brutal blood curdling growls. The kind that would make any self-respected Death Metal vocalist stand in salute and appreciation. What a wonderful surprise!
Do you want riffs? You won’t be disappointed here. At all. No bells or whistles, just good ol’ fashioned neck snapping chugs and grooves are the order of the day! Again, much in the style of Gojira, whom I feel are a huge influence to the band.
The energy shifts to something much more upbeat, stoner vibes with psychedelic vibes in ‘Traversing the Interstellar Gateway’. A somewhat welcome change of pace. Though sadly I don’t feel as though the band are capitalising on that early momentum and the quality does start to diminish. The pacing of the album suffers as some of the ideas do seem to be stretch too far and dragged out. ‘Architects of Our World’ seems to have the same issue too where I just don’t know where it’s going and ideas are just being dragged out for the sake of it really.
The vocals were solid earlier in the album but seem to be poorly recorded and just not getting the best out of the musicians. The same of which can be said for other aspects of productions. Though these are issues that are very much fixable as there’s clearly evidence of song writing talent within the band.
After such much promise initially, it was a little disappointing towards the end of the album. Though I will be keeping tabs on the band, I’m sure ‘Our History Hidden’ is going to get placed onto my Post-Metal playlist.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Singularity
02. Our History Hidden
03. Traversing the Interstellar Gateway
04. Contact
05. Architects of Our World
06. Duality
LINE-UP:
Matt Habina – Drums
Dave Cohn – Bass, Synths
Brian Harrigan – Guitars, Vocals, Synths
LINKS:
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