The DevilsHorns

Grey Mountain are a trans-Atlantic metal project featuring members of Monsterworks, Bull Elephant, Construct of Lethe, and Black Harvest. Purveyors of doomy death metal with a smattering of post metal, the album has gone down a treat with other reviewers on the internet. Numerous high scores have accompanied the self-titled debut album.

However, those reviews would have been written after more than just the one listen I have given it, so my perspective is a lot different.

Grey Mountainis not an immediate album!

In fact, it is seriously difficult to get into on the first listen. So much so that my notes are very negative, ‘discordant’, ‘tinny drums’, ‘uncaptivating’, ‘bland’. These are just some of the words written down as I digested the 7 tracks across some 38 and a half minutes.

Other reviews on the internet would suggest I have it wrong. I usually review 1 album per week. This is the first time I have reviewed 2 albums released on the same day having given it just the one listen. The reason for this? Have I got it wrong? I obviously have. The album has some serious rave reviews from small blogs, to larger websites.

Grey Mountain by Grey Mountain

Grey Mountain is, perhaps, the reason that the 1 listen review concept began. Does an album deserve additional time on your playlist after just the 1 listen?

I wasn’t going to review this. It didn’t appeal to me in the way that Kaiser did. Grey Mountain was one and done. I really didn’t like the drums on this. To me, they sounded fake, muffled with tinny blast-beats and ultimately unsatisfying.

The riffs – some were very complicated. Tracks had too many ideas crammed into a finite time. ‘Many Shades, A Storm’ had a great intro, then it becomes too much. ‘A Universal Evil’, similar – decent vocals but there are too many ideas that just don’t fit.

Then, PR company ‘Clawhammer PR’ send out an advert about the albums release saying the following:

“It’s rare that you could call something bona fide unique in the current era, but Grey Mountain come pretty damned close with this masterful piece of work.”

– Metal Noise (9/10)

“What Grey Mountain have created here is beyond impressive and immediately puts them in the league of bands that are a league unto themselves.”

– Toilet ov Hell (4/5)

“A strikingly amazing first effort!”

– Doomed For Metal Reviews

“For fans of forward-thinking metal who appreciate both ferocity and melody, GREY MOUNTAIN is essential listening.”

– Antihero Magazine

“A combination of Death and Doom Metal, but with a hearty side helping of surprises. I applaud them for thinking outside of the box and pulling it off.”

– Metal Temple (8/10)

The upshot of this is that I cannot refuse to listen to the self-titled debut album again. I will be doing myself, and hopefully the album, a massive disservice.

I rate albums on the likelihood of additional listens. Instinct tells me I don’t want to listen again, but I cannot escape from the fact that my initial, gut instinct for Grey Mountain was wrong.

Ampwall

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