Nashville-based, psych/grunge/rock trio The Grayces have released their brand new album ‘Westing’ – perfect fayre for fans of Queens of the Stone Age, Black Sabbath or Nirvana.
We listened to the rather brilliant new album:
Starting off with ‘Posthumous Fame’- one of the best rock numbers that we have heard this year … Iz sings like Oz … but as if the bat-biter is being slowly turned on a white-hot barbecue skewer. It’s so full of emotion and pain.
This has an eel-like bass riff that runs right through it, like a mamba slinking through grave-dirt. The voice is magnificent, mature and full of fire – even if it has a dark, dark heart. And this track is also packed with black-fingernail guitar and jaunty drum work. A churning cauldron of emotions and molten rock sentiments. Fabulously flavoured. A true celebration. Of dead-and-gone fame.
Nothing quite matches the fire and majesty of that first song, and it’s a pity that the next track ‘Walls Of The Dead’ follows the same bass model – but this is by far the most unhinged track on the collection. With agitated harmonies and grunge-filled sentiment.
‘Rattlesnake’ careens into view like an out-of-control stock car that’s blazing into the crowd. The voice here is more Siouxsie Sioux than Ozzy. This is very late 1970’s post-punk in out-of-breath ambition.
Then we go on the Seattle grunge scene again with ‘Drop In A Bucket’ – but this also has a theatrical element to it, reminiscent of Captain Beefheart. All the while the bass seeps through the meshwork of rhythms and guitar. This a smoked up joint of regret-filled nuances.
Some of the bass riffs on this album sound a lot less sophisticated than we’d prefer, so ‘Terminator’ comes as a pleasant surprise. Because the bass eases back at intro time… and lets the lead guitar take over. This is a colourful pile of squelchy guitars – topped of with a voice so moody that is goes from cranky to crazy in seconds.This a psychedelic party song – with the unhappiness and energy of early punk.
Heavy on improvisation and full-to-busting with audio collage – this is quality jam-rock for fans of grunge metal – topped off neatly with a contralto voice that is properly eeky.
@neilmach 2014 ©
Link:
https://www.facebook.com/thegrayces/
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