The Grey – Kodok
The Grey – Kodok
Majestic Mountain Records
28/02/2025
Review by Oli Gonzalez
8/10
The Grey. One of the best kept secrets in the underground music scene at the moment, offering a delightful and progressive approach to instrumental Rock and Metal. So much so that they landed a spot on Bloodstock’s Sophie Stage in recent times, as well as receiving critical acclaim from publications such as Kerrang! I was excited to get my hands on their latest effort, “Kodok” as it seems to play into my tastes nicely, as an admirer of all things left field and obscure.
Already I can tell this is going to be spicy. There’s an early Candlemass feeling, such is the raw and doomy undertone with simple, yet devastatingly effective riffs. “How can 3 people make so much noise?”, I wondered, given the thick and dense undertones of the instruments. The clever, yet simple introduction of synth elements adds a welcome austere atmospheric element, whereas the guitars shift from riff central through to melodic and similarly austere. You’ll find yourself being pulled in multiple directions throughout the album. The progression feels logical however, well planned and thought out with each movement given sufficient time to cook and brew, rather than a random concoction of ideas. The more ambient psychedelic elements are explored more in ‘La Bruja’ with these passages offering a welcome change of pace from the skull crushing heavy riffs! You need the calm to appreciate the intense after all.
This is explored again during ‘CHVRCH’ in an aesthetically pleasing opening, an acoustic soundscape that’s hypnotic and comforting. All before being smashed in the face with another post metal onslaught!
Some of the guitar and bass tones are spicy, bound to make music nerds and tone geeks purr in admiration. If you’re a fan of Russian Circles then you’ll appreciate what’s going down here.
The instrumental tri…oh, hang on, there’s lyrics! There’s vocals. Check out the unhinged primitive growls during ‘Sharpen The Knife’, like something from Will Haven or The Dillinger Escape Plan! The Grey have done such an amazing job of telling their story musically and with their instruments more than some vocalists can in an entire album. Still, the introduction of the vocals just adds more intriguing layers and speaks to the depths of the band’s musical talents. This point is further solidified with the cleaner vocals in “Don’t Say Goodbye”.
So, this ticks many of the boxes that makes Oli want to go bananas. What about a more casual listener? Sadly, I’m not sure many will have the patience to sit through songs hovering around the 10 minute mark. Which is why I would say “Kodok” is more of a specialist listen, but a delightful listen at that.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Painted Lady
02. La Bruja
03. Sharpen The Knife
04. CHVRCH
05. Don’t Say Goodbye
06. AFG
LINKS:
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