Review: Grace Hayhurst – The World Is Dying

Artwork by: Anja Curhalek

Style: Progressive Metal (Mixed vocals, mostly clean)
Recommended for fans of: Riverside, Porcupine Tree, Haken, Dream Theater, Mastodon
Country: United Kingdom
Release date: 27 June 2025

We live in times of great extremes. I know, I know—what a bold and challenging statement. “Thank you for enlightening us, o’ hallowed reviewer,” I hear you say, “Don’t you have a Sleep Token record to be glazing?” Yes, I do. But first, I have to craft an in for this review. Extremes: they are everywhere, pushed by immoral politicians and greedy draconian billionaires alike. One can’t scroll five seconds on YouTube without being assaulted by clear evidence of the matter; everywhere, reaction channels gobble up the latest controversy, news, trends, horror, et cetera, reducing often complex scenarios to grift-minded notions of black and white. Nuance, like the dodo, has flung itself mightily from the cliffs of reason, choosing extinction over the existential nightmare Humanity has hatched for itself. Yet, for all my lamenting nuance’s ignoble end at the hands of hot-takers and corpo-grifters, there is an undeniable “red tape” surrounding it. And when the world is on fire and no one’s listening, sometimes there just isn’t time for artful conversation. When things are desperate, you can’t necessarily risk the message going over peoples’ heads.

Sometimes, you just gotta spell it out, like colorful alphabet magnets arranged upon the refrigerator door of our collective ignorance.

Enter UK multi-instrumentalist Grace Hayhurst. After six years of singles and EPs under the eponymous Grace Hayhurst, The World Is Dying represents her debut full-length, a near-hour’s worth of progressive rock / metal replete with introspective and adventurous guitar alike pattering across sonorous beds of classical piano and swirling synth keys that add flavors of 80s Rush and Symphony X’s neoclassical era. Energetic kitwork by long-time contributor Robin Johnson (Kyros) rounds out Hayhurst’s sound. For the first time in her budding career, Hayhurst brings her voice to the table as well, offering a straightforward indictment as she runs through a venerable Litany of Disasters and Failings on “The World is Dying,” before proclaiming “the world is dying and it’s our fault.” Prog has its muscles, of course, a capacity to tap into somber subject material. Yet often bands will lean into the poetic, the suggestive, when it comes to lyrics, seeking a safe artistic middle ground rather than go right to the throat of the matter. Grace Hayhurst has chosen the path of least resistance on The World Is Dying—but presentation matters much as the message does, maybe more so when dealing with music. Does she get the point across with verve? Or is she stuck screaming into a void?

Let’s start with the good: the music. Hayhurst acquits herself with general aplomb across the entirety of The World Is Dying, showcasing a fine ear for rhythm, melody, and composition. Her guitar shifts from crunchy, driving riffs, searching, Nick Johnston-esque lines, and bouncy prog grooves with nary a sweat. Keys create a fertile bed of mood and atmosphere, often tapping into the album’s darkest and most playful moments alike. The bass, while more suppressed in the mix than I’d like, nonetheless rolls about with purpose when presenting itself, possessed of a warm, buoyant tone that, in cooperation with the resonant piano skirmishes and Johnson’s lively percussions, gives The World Is Dying a jazzy flair and infectious kineticism that had me drawing sonic leylines to fellow UK progsters, Exploring Birdsong. Tracks ebb and flow smoothly across ideas and transitions; take “Our Forest, The Earth,” for example, moving from moody buildup of tribal drums and desolate guitar / bass, before a warbling synth line winds like a fuse before detonating into a jaunty rundown of prog-rock fun, including a soft detour into Tool and Gunship-flavored territory along the bridge as the opening motif returns, only to unfurl in new directions.

However, not everything in The World Is Dying pulls through unscathed. While almost every track offers measures of classical beauty and modern prog-madness, some additions struggle to manifest in winsome ways. While “Revolution’s” transition into baroque doom is pretty cool, as are the initial Sadness-coded black metal rasps accompanying the shift, the rasps take on a cartoonish, almost Donald Duck-vibe that completely jettisoned me from the otherwise good time I was having. And, sadly, that extends to the vocals as a whole. There’s a theatricality to Hayhurst’s breathy falsetto that, like Geddy Lee’s alien screeching on early Rush releases, has the potential to align with the music’s bombastic aims. Unlike Lee, however, Hayhurst’s singing lacks power, range, and finesse, often coming across like a karaoke performance. When used purely for vocalization, her approach works decently enough at bolstering atmosphere (as on parts of “And It’s Our Fault,” “Take Off,” or “Armistice”). But there’s no working around that her voice stands as The World Is Dying’s weakest link, disruptive to the otherwise pleasant instrumentation. Clarity also becomes an issue: whether the vocals’ placement in the mix, her style, or both, lyrics are often hard to parse—an issue when messaging is such a concern.

Attempting vocals overall after focusing largely on instrumental-only material showcases a measure of resolve on the part of Hayhurst that should be commended; clearly, she felt this material would benefit from lyrics, and I’m inclined to agree. However, while repeat listens have afforded me the time to hear how her singing fits into the overall architecture of the songs, first-time listeners run the risk of being shunted clear out of the experience. This is a shame, because Hayhurst certainly has an ear for how vocals can be slotted into her music, with the chops to compose and execute solid, fun prog tunes—and pace them, too. Despite nearly striking the hour’s toll, The World Is Dying avoids listener fatigue by virtue of every track (sans the pointless “Prologue,” “Armistice,” and closer “Absent Futures”) being chock-full of sonic evolutions and exuberant performances. If the vocal problem can be solved (perhaps by passing that particular set of reins to an outside source, as with the drumming), then I think a future release would have the legs needed to make a stand. Of course, she could also return to her instrumental roots, instead. However, Hayhurst has proven to have the mettle necessary to learn and grow to meet her artistic aspirations; this is simply another hurdle for her to clear. So, the world may be dying, and yeah, it’s our fault, but life is hardly over.

Recommended tracks: The World is Dying, Our Forest, The Earth, Revolution
You may also like: Exploring Birdsong, Temic, Althea, Haven of Echoes
Final verdict: 4/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives

Label: Independent

Grace Hayhurst is:
– Grace Hayhurst (guitars, bass, keyboards, piano, vocals)
With guests:
– Robin Johnson (drums)