Style: Progressive Rock/Sludge (mixed vocals)
Review by: Callum
Country: United States (California)
Release date: December 18, 2020
I’m discovering I’m a victim of my own grandiose expectations when it comes to album production. The abundance of modern music being inhumanly precise and overproduced down to the timbre of a drum skin has made me that way. I like my steak rare, but I almost dismissed MOTHERS WEAVERS VULTURES at first listen because I thought the mix was a little too bleu. Muddy, lumbering drums kick in after such an enticing cello siren song and beautiful bright guitar tones which makes something of what I first considered a mushy, lackluster head. Repeat listens, however, have taught me that this three-piece actually fills out the sound well by giving the midrange the lion’s share of attention and eschewing a bass guitar entirely for the cello played by vocalist Jackie Perez Gratz. If that name sounds familiar, Gratz has previously played in such dark and doomy acts as Neurosis, Agalloch, Om, and Giant Squid. The latter is probably the band closest to Grayceon’s genre-bending style of sludgy progressive rock. Fun fact, she’s also an audio director for a certain well known game development company (it’s not often I come across an artist’s LinkedIn page when researching for these reviews). While I still think the mix is fairly raw, beyond those reservations, this album is an emotionally driven tale chock-full of hard-hitting sludgy riffs and sweet, melancholy cello. It’s a mother’s warning about what we leave behind in this world for future generations, veiling a stark concern for climate consciousness. The band’s digital proceeds even go to non-profit organizations committed to addressing the causes and effects of the climate crisis on wildlife and their habitats.
In the opening track, “Diablo Wind”, the guitar and cello dance in a flurry around the main gritty riffs that drive the song forward, slowing down every now and then to settle into slow doom grooves. This track aptly sets up the main theme of man’s destructive effects on the planet, likely based on the forest fires that ravage the US’ west coast each year. The brilliant lyrics do well to convey this throughout the album with lines like ‘You must believe / The fire winds are coming strong’. Then later, in the pre-eminent “The Lucky Ones”, the few harshly delivered lyrics on the album bring powerful meaning to the album title. They decry humans as mothers complicit in the destruction of ‘the place we call home… weavers of this fabric we shroud ourselves in… vultures feeding on what’s left for dead’. This section especially is bookended by huge, juicy riffs with well placed hammer-ons reminiscent of Elder.
Although I favor “The Lucky Ones”, this is not to say the rest of the album isn’t just as solid. Riff after chunky riff continue on for the remaining three tracks, broken up by melancholy sections of haunting cello and vocals, warmed somewhat by the bright clean tones from Max Doyle’s guitar and his unique playing style. These are the sections I appreciate the most on the record that effectively layer more emotion on top of the beautiful lyrics like in “This Bed”. I still can’t help but be shaken out of the zone slightly when the volume peaks beyond a certain point and the murky crashes of cymbals obscure the mix. Although the drumming is powerful, the clarity suffers and ultimately distracts me from getting totally lost in Gratz’ crooning during the louder climaxes. This is still a great album and scratches a certain prog/doom/sludge itch that’s been nagging at me since Giant Squid unfortunately called it quits back in 2005.
Recommended tracks: The Lucky Ones, This Bed, Rock Steady
Recommended for fans of: Giant Squid, Kylesa, Anciients
Final verdict: 7/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Label: Translation Loss Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook | Twitter
Grayceon is:
– Max Doyle (guitar)
– Jackie Perez Gratz (cello, vocals)
– Zack Farwell (drums)
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