Review: “Self Titled” by Grey Mountain

When it boils down to it, Grey Mountain have to be considered a supergroup of co-conspirators. A new Trans-Atlantic project, the three piece are a collective of musicians known for their works in Monsterworks, Bull Elephant, Construct of Lethe, Black Harvest Thūn and Moose Cult who have been throwing ideas at each other since some point in 2023. Mastered by Dan Swanö (Bucovina, Insomnium, Necrophobic) at Unisound, their self titled debut album was mixed by guitarist and vocalist Jon Higgs. It’s adorned by artwork from guitarist, bassist and vocalist Kishor Haulenbeek with drummer James Garnett’s drums being recorded by Jamie Masters at Echo Studios. They claim their sound is difficult to pin down but describe it as running the of Traditional Heavy Metal, through Death and Doom with Post-Metal and discordant influences… so what does that sound like?

Inception level madness is achieved with a self titled song on a self tiled album and listening to “Grey Mountain” as a track it has those vibes about it. An ethnic guitar introduction is a moment that makes you feel like a bloodhound that has been thrown off the scent, however the pounding drums should really be an indication of the shape of punk to come. Riffs fit for idle worship rise from the black depths before caustic vocals from Higgs and Haulenbeek tear at the ear drums like savage mini beasts, the harsh nature of them a striking and stirring contrast to the atmosphere building sonic abrasions. Brooding and sinister, the soundscape floats between Traditional Heavy Metal and Black Metal while the vocals occupy a raw Death Metal space. Yet their are blast beats and soaring riff passages that inject a surprising amount of melody, a combination that should never work on paper but in reality is left field enough to be as enticing as a low budget science fiction horror movie. Galloping in like the four horsemen of the apocalypse “Perpetual Imbalance” continues the juxtaposition in eclectic and eccentric fashion, fleeting moments sounding like The Dillinger Escape Plan or Imperial Triumphant at their most avant-garde. The vocals are fierce, the drums pounding and yet there are odd floaty moments in amongst the cleaner guitars that give everything an unhinged and nightmarish feel. There are complexities that border on the the verge of Progressive Traditional Heavy Metal too and they rise to the surface in “A Universal Evil” as the duelling guitars intertwine. Its as if both guitarists are playing leads at points in the first half of this one before a dreamy melodic instrumental passage builds across the mid section into gruff clean vocals in epic grandeur. Then the screaming starts once again with both vocalists offering brutal roars over twisted riffs and the result is nothing short of awe inspiring.

After three quite frankly stunning tracks, the standard has been set for the rest of the album and with “Hermitage” Grey Mountain show no signs of slowing down. Fierce, ear splitting vocal abrasions are once again the order of the day as the band cut through the urban jungle with their barbed tongues, a warped edge to the sinister guitars making this one sound a little unsettling. Blood and thunder instrumentation follows in the second half with full throttle kit work straight out of the Black Metal book, using the studio helping to give Garnett the kind of clean and crisp drum sound that others pray for. There is a pomp and circumstance to “Many Shades, a Storm” with the rise and fall of the instrumentation mimicking the sea on a stormy night in at points. While the rhythms soar from darkness into light, the vocals remain unrelenting, a savage force of nature that seemingly knowns no borders or boundaries. Equally rich melodies play a major role in “Decline and Fall“, cleverly balanced with heavier moments as the trio once again weave a spellbinding web. An acoustic piece in the final moments is a wonderful touch and would have been great to hear more of that. The banshee however has a different wail in mind with Black ‘n Roll vibes in “Living Mythology” that throw the baby out with the bathwater. Electrifying energy in a flamboyant performance makes this one a stunner as well as a thought outside of the box in comparison to the rest of the record. It’s rare that you could call something bona fide unique in the current era but Grey Mountain come pretty damned close with this masterful piece of work [9/10]

Track Listing

1. Grey Mountain
2. Perpetual Imbalance
3. A Universal Evil
4. Hermitage
5. Many Shades, a Storm
6. Decline and Fall
7. Living Mythology

“Self Titled” by Grey Mountain is out 7th March 2025 via Eat Lead and Die Music and is available over at bandcamp