The 2020s have seen something of a new coming from the side of metal that leans towards chaos and discord. Whether it’s Better Lovers nabbing nonstop festival spots straight after their inception, The Callous Daoboys paving their way into international tours, or even Dillinger Escape Plan reuniting for a 25-year Calculating Infinity celebration, it’s a joy to see the experimental/mathy exploits of this sect of -core bear such fruit.
Amongst this resurgence is Greyhaven, a sonically-charged group that’s impressed with records This Bright and Beautiful World and Empty Black over the last 6 years. Even if they’ve left my rotation here and there, this four-piece eventually makes their way back and I never regret picking them up again. Now off the heels of signing to Solid State Records, the group has teamed up with best-in-the-biz Will Putney and Stereo Grief is out – does it stack up with the rest of their discography?
As Greyhaven bursts out of the gate with the lyric “All I want right now is death” in “Past Material”, it’s more than clear Stereo Grief is an EP out for blood. The rumble of double-bass throughout the verses complements the panic chords and vitriol within vocalist Brent Mills’ words. When the band isn’t gut-punching the listener with these distraught runs, the gritty melodic choruses in tracks like “Confined Collapse” are enough to elicit mic-grabbing moments at any Greyhaven show on their upcoming shows with Better Lovers, SeeYouSpaceCowboy, and Foreign Hands.
Lead single “The Welcome Party” best represents the unique approach Greyhaven brings to this side of heavy music. Tempo-changes abound and guitar leads showcased, it’s some of the best of what the band has to offer and is turning heads across the scene on a stacked April 12th release day. The follow-up in “Sick and Lavish” broadcasts in its second verse just how well Greyhaven can flip a switch from intense frenzy to prime-focused post-hardcore like it’s nothing. Everything in Stereo Grief comes to a head in closer “An Inverse Self-Reflection”, as Mills shares: “The prior four tunes are dark and negative. This wraps up on a positive note. You realize, ‘Everything was bad, but I have the ability to make things better. It’s up to me.’ The house swallows you up, but it’s over and you can take the wisdom and make a change. That’s the whole message.”
It took a few listens and focusing on the lyricism for me to realize Stereo Grief is actually a concept EP. Mills mentions, “On the EP, this character is traveling through a house where he watches all of these versions of himself. He experiences good and bad moments as well as regret.” This projected introspection really adds something to the listen; an already sonically-compelling instrumental is bolstered with this involved character study across eighteen minutes. That merit makes up for each song feeling a bit indiscernible from each other – a nitpick if anything, as Greyhaven has crafted a replayable, worthwhile EP in Stereo Grief.
