Words: Ryan Getz
Doom psych is not a genre I could believably claim I have any expertise in. That said, Pale Grey Lore’s self titled is an enjoyable record.
I stored this band in the back of my brain in the “locals with potential” category when I saw these guys perform at Worst Kept Secret Fest at Skate Naked. Their not quite late night set in the semi grungy darkness was cool and badass. And catchy. As I watched Adam Miller drum sidestage it was obvious to me this band had talent. The group’s self-titled full length confirms this. As someone who doesn’t really follow this band’s subgenre, I’ll make an alternative claim about this record. I think it has some crossover appeal. Fans of Torche and even some of new-era shoegaze records would find things to like about this album.
“The Conjuration” has a pretty shoegazey feel with the way the guitars and bass sound, along with the overall pacing of the song. The genre deviator (I’m taking somewhat of a shot in the dark here) is the vocals. Desperate cries of “Torn apart upon the rack / Sanity about to crack” ironically proclaim impending doom despite the somewhat steady rhythm of the music. Impending doom is an unintentional pun by the way, but fitting.
The irony continues with the even slower droney “Black Sun Rise,” which weaves an apocalyptic tapestry with lines like “See the black sun rise / Against a crimson sky / Storm clouds gathering / Thunder and acid rain.” Now, this is important: when I use the term ironic, I’m not trash talking. I actually dig the contrast between the sound and the lyrics. I worry a little bit that new fans will miss the imagery in the words and zone out to the sounds alone, but that’s okay too. Longtime followers of the genre are probably already aware of what I assume to be a common contrast.
One of the groovier tracks on the album is “Tell the Masters,” which has an almost surf-rock-ish rhythm section along with a melody line that is the closest to being feel good you’ll get here. The lyrics reflect the optimistic feel appropriately, proclaiming “Scales have fallen from my eyes / Today I see the world anew / There will be no compromise / Now I know what I must do.”
There is no doubt in my mind that Pale Grey Lore knows exactly what they must do in their sphere of the music scene. I look forward to seeing how this band progresses.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaU_tv5O4SQ[/youtube]
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