Review: Dim Gray – Shards

Style: Progressive rock, chamber pop, art rock, alternative rock, indie folk (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: The Pineapple Thief, Riverside, Porcupine Tree, The Dear Hunter, iamthemorning
Country: Norway
Release date: 28 February 2025

What’s that? Dir En Grey? No, you want the room around the corner, this is Dim Gray… No problem, have a great time… Oh, hi, I didn’t see you there! Welcome to The Progressive Subway, where we review the best of progressive rock and metal. Except… we don’t review all that much prog rock. Why? Because so much of it suffers from the same problems: bland vocalists, lacklustre musicianship, and a tendency to jettison creativity in favour of just copying the classics. At the end of the day, there’s so little of note in the genre to cover. We want prog that actually progresses, that pushes the genre forward; there’s not much you can say about yet another thinly veiled tribute to Pink Floyd.  

So good luck to Dir En—goddamnit—I mean Dim Gray¹. Shards is the Norwegian quintet’s third full-length release, cementing their cinematic take on proggy alternative rock, awash in reverb and echo while meditating on lyrical themes of change and stasis. Fronted by Oskar Holldorff, whose piano-work often leads the songs, and accompanied by strings, Shards sounds both oceanic in its scale and intimate in its cosy instrumentation. Dim Gray’s sound feels apiece with fellow Norwegian group Meer, as well as other softly toned underground art rock acts like Exploring Birdsong and Haven of Echoes.

Holldorff’s mellifluous vocal performance is a focal point for Dim Gray, and he’s sometimes joined by all four of his bandmates. Indeed, harmonies play a crucial role across Shards, from the five-part harmony refrain on epic finale “Attakulla” to the duet with guest vocalist Vaarin on “Myopia”. Guitarist Håkon Høiberg takes the lead on “Murals” and co-leads “Peril” with his breathy, quavering vibrato contrasting nicely with Holldorff’s controlled high tenor. Their performances are bolstered predominantly by Holldorff’s glittering piano work and the strings of Ellen-Martine Gismervik and Nicoline Krohn Moland (cello and violin respectively). 

At times, this focus on piano and strings means the core band instruments are somewhat secondary, though never in a negative sense. “Myopia” is essentially a chamber prog tune, the kind of thing you might hear from White Moth Black Butterfly’s debut. Nevertheless, the core band contribute many a great moment: the wonderfully intricate guitar riff that opens “Defiance”, the folk standard that defines “Murals” with its jig-like rhythm, or the way “Feathers” builds instrumental layers with the guitar becoming a more pronounced contributor as the song charges inexorably towards its post-rock climax. Høiberg and Milad Amouzegar are apt to play with pedals, tremulous effects with minimal distortion; Amouzegar also provides setar and Persian santoor (a type of hammered dulcimer) which further contributes to Dim Gray’s distinct sound. Meanwhile, Tom Ian Klungland uses electronic percussion to suit softer songs (“Myopia”, “Mooneater”) and hammers the kit when necessary (“Little One”). Shards isn’t overtly flashy; rather it’s a textural experience, all the sonic elements working towards a shared goal.

Holldorff is a regular Jem Godfrey, handling the mix and master as well as fronting the band and providing keys. The production is crystalline, the cinematic atmospheres lend the tracks a strong sense of grandiosity, and all the instruments are clear in the mix. My only caveat is that Kristian Kvaksrud’s bass work is a little buried in all the layers and probably gets drowned out by the bass piano notes much of the time. Nevertheless, even in the more chaotic sections, the instruments have plenty of space to assert themselves in the mix. 

There’s little to fault, but Dim Gray do play it a little safe with song structures at times. “Peril”, for example, leans into a more generic, mainstream indie-folk structure and sound, a little too frivolous and radio-friendly—dare I say it, a touch too Mumford & Sons². It feels like a very made-to-be-a-single track and I found myself wanting to skip it while reviewing. Standing in stark contrast is the ten minute finale “Attakulla” which showcases Dim Gray at their best. Eschewing the poppier structures present across much of Shards and engaging the talents of every band member, we get gorgeous vocal harmonies, a setar solo from Amouzegar, a violin solo, and about four different crescendos. As Holldorff defiantly intones ‘I will rise, I will fade, like a wave that breaks on stone’ at the track’s climax and those thundering Porcupine Tree-esque chords ring out, I can’t help but wish there was more of this across Shards. Don’t get me wrong, most of the tracks are fantastic, but Dim Gray are simply so adept at long form work that I’d love to hear them lean further into these proggier inclinations more often. 

New and engaging prog rock acts don’t come around all that often which makes Shards all the more of a revelation. Dim Gray are completely in sync, their compositions meticulously crafted. While I’d love to see them stretch their prog muscles further, there’s no denying that this is one of those rare great prog rock albums that feels fresh and is, quite simply, a joy to listen to. Bands like Meer, Exploring Birdsong, and now Dim Gray are remaking the prog rock scene anew, leaving the old paradigm in shards. 

Recommended tracks: Defiance, Myopia, Murals, Little One, Attakulla
You may also like: Meer, Exploring Birdsong, Haven of Echoes, Jonathan Hultén, White Moth Black Butterfly, Ifall
Final verdict: 7.5/10

1. “This bit wasn’t funny the first time,” I hear you cry. True, but it might be funny the second time. ↩︎
2. The main guitar lick actually sounds like a cursed mix of When You Were Young by The Killers (a good song) and What You Know by Two Door Cinema Club (a not so good song). ↩︎

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Label: Independent

Dim Gray is:
– Tom Ian Klungland (drums, backing vocals)
– Håkon Høiberg (guitars, mandolin, lead vocals on track 3 and parts of track 6, backing vocals)
– Milad Amouzegar (guitars, Persian santoor and setar, backing vocals, additional synth)
– Oskar Holldorff (vocals, keyboards, programming, additional acoustic guitar)
– Kristian Kvaksrud (electric bass, backing vocals)