Technical death metal incorporates a variety of influences from genres such as jazz fusion, progressive rock and European classical music into general death metal aesthetics to compose music that is thought to be unexpected, difficult to play and often difficult to comprehend. As a result of such experimentation, such as the works of Cynic and Atheist, the subform of tech death established itself as a complex and varied musical style. As death metal bands began further exploring the genre, they experimented with a variety of song structures, tempos, and playing techniques from other genres to create music that changed the style. Technical death metal (also called tech death for short or also can be known as Progressive death metal), is a term used to describe bands in the subgenre death metal that focus on more complex rhythms and song structures. Instruments = vocals - Electric guitar - Bass guitar - drums
However, with its members’ combined experience and synergy, the first full-length from Greylotus is an impressive, cohesive, and mature yet not self-serious accomplishment.Cultural_origins =Late 1980s, United States Especially with music as complex as that which appears on Dawnfall, the risk of falling short of achieving a band’s ambition is high. Many debut albums, even good ones, often seem raw or underdeveloped. This gives an energy to the album sometimes lost in over-polished, highly technical music. It genuinely sounds like the band is having fun here – while there are heavy themes on the record, I feel as though I hear Greylotus enjoying themselves.
Even with songs that often push or surpass the six-minute mark, limiting the tracklist to nine pieces allows each track to get the attention it deserves without fatiguing the listener or losing interest. While a less talented band may struggle to connect these disparate influences cohesively, that is hardly the case here. This mix of musical experiences is evident in the multifaceted nature of the music. Also, I just have to mention the music video – it is such an intriguing animation.Īt this point, it may be salient to mention that Greylotus’ membership includes current and past members of Drewsif, Wormhole, Equipoise, Cognitive, Mithya, Veil of Pnath, and Emerge A Tyrant. Elsewhere, Gaia Mason ( Slice the Cake) uses narrative spoken word to bring an aura of reflection and mystique to the technical maelstrom of “Chiaroscuro”. However, Greylotus maintain a devastatingly heavy throughline in the song that is accentuated by a vocal feature from Vulvodynia’s Duncan Bentley paired with a notably slamming breakdown. Blackened blasts, Animals As Leaders-like riffage, and more synths expand the track. Single “Shadow Archetype” furthers the symphonic elements of the first track but in a much slower, groovier setting. That is not even to mention the groovier, mid-tempo sections and acoustic guitar that appear later on in the track.Įven with the range of the first track, Greylotus don’t show their whole hand on the opener. However, symphonic elements and layered singing bring out the compositional strengths of the track and establish a penchant for experimentation that purveys the record. Rejecting the symphonic metal trope of an opening interlude, the track’s first breath breaks into throat-shredding screams, complex yet memorable guitar lines, and relentless drums. We are instead greeted by the death metal barrage of opener “Rectilinear Motion”. The ornate, fantastical logo and magical dawn conveyed on the cover might evoke the sense that the accompanying album is a power metal record. However, you might not know exactly what to expect from the album based on the artwork. The resulting full-length, Dawnfall, is a frenetic yet focused offering of aggressive and memorable progressive, technical death metal. Since releasing their 2018 debut EP, Savior, the group has refined their energetic mix of technical death metal, slam, deathcore, and djent alongside symphonic, melodic, and progressive elements. Today’s subject of review, Greylotus, is just such an act. Yet, despite these sonic consistencies between labelmates, the range and versatility of the bands intrigue me.
The Artisan Era has become one of my most frequented labels as a listener – the records and acts they support tend to mix death metal, technicality, melodicism, and symphonic elements in ways that I regularly enjoy and revisit.
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