Review #14 : Grey Goes Black

Review #14

Artist: Grey Goes Black
Single: Break Apart Again/Don’t Stop

    Having worked with Grey Goes Black several times live and in concert, I can promise you that they know how to put on a show. The band’s equipment is top notch, they are massively talented, and the even bring their own deep sea blue stage lighting that sets an interesting mood throughout their performance. 

    Now that you know what you’ve been missing, I can tell you about the latest “single” release from GGB that you should give a listen. Searchable on Spotify as Break Apart Again/Don’t Stop, this experimental rock band goes a little further down the rabbit hole with two tracks that act as a follow up to 2017’s And Inside There Was Only Water. 

    While the trio’s past release definitely leaned on the experimental side, it certainly emitted more of a stadium rock vibe that could be found in the music of U2, Nine Inch Nails, and 90’s Radiohead. These new discography additions however, let a lot of that fall away and allowed “the freak flag to fly” so to speak. In what seems to be a journey down new avenues in genre and sound, we start Break Apart Again with synth atmospherics reminding me strongly of the XX. From there, the seven and a half minute song turns entirely into what one could consider a redefining of the typical rock ballad. I personally think it would be very interesting to hear an instrumental version of this song, and of the following song for that matter, so that the listener can truly appreciate the many different layers of these complex pieces. 

    The second number entitled, Don’t Stop clocks in at just over five and a half minutes using a much more unique vocal melody that sort of reminds me of lyrical patterns found in Our Lady Peace tracks (remember them?). Additionally, the song’s ongoing soundscape eventually works its way into the single’s latter half, which is overlaid with spoken word and well mixed backing vocals.

    While I have made my stance on long songs very clear in the past, I can easily appreciate the many evolving parts within these two lengthy numbers. From the synth, to unique guitar tones, and masterful mixing, there is a lot to be appreciated in these rabbit hole creations. Still however, I find myself feeling as if their 2017 release was stronger in terms of lyricism and energy.

So should you be in a experimental or industrial rock mood, this is a band that will happily give you riffs and melodies that will make your machine heart swoon. On top of that, their showmanship and always tight performances make it easy for you to remember the name Grey Goes Black.

Ryan Hanratty
Frosted Green Productions