Grayceon

Grayceon is one of those truly left-field, do-something-different-for-the-hell-of-it bands, off in their own world. This is a trio, consisting of a cellist, a guitarist, and a drummer, and that alone sets this band apart from practically everyone else on the planet. Many bands, particularly in the gothic genre, have toyed with adding string instruments to their sound, but it's always as a supplement to the metal instruments. Here, Jackie Perez Gratz's cello parts are not add-ons or afterthoughts -- they are the driving force of the songs, with guitarist Max Doyle adding texture rather than forced heavy riffing (in this way, his role here is similar to Larry Lalonde's in Primus), topped off by rather unconventional but quite interesting drumming by Zack Farwell. The overall style is, predictably, hard to pinpoint -- there are touches of somber doom, progressive metal, post-art-rock, but this is really a style all their own. The songs are mostly drawn-out, with interesting twists and turns that never seem forced, mostly paced on the slow side but occasionally fast and frenetic (such as the lone short track, "Song For You"). The vocals seem to almost be an afterthought, what vocals there are (with three of the four songs over eight minutes, and one of them topping out at just under twenty minutes, there are plenty of long instrumental passages) -- a semi-tuneless croon from both Jackie and Max, though with a few yelps on the aforementioned "Song For You". Given the right exposure, Grayceon could appeal to a wide variety of music fans both within and outside the metal realm -- definitely worth a listen for those looking for something truly unique.

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Discography

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