Today I was given the opportunity to listen to another underground talented group of musicians who formed a band called "Goodbye Graceful." Goodbye Graceful is a British heavy metal band who have just released their debut EP and once again I was extremely impressed by the quality and talent that these underground bands possess. This really has nothing to do with their EP but the vocalist for the band Tristan Harris is also the drummer, which I thought was really cool. Being a drummer myself I have insane respect for someone who can not only do the exhausting task of smashing things as hard as you can but also sing and growl as well as he does. Alright Ill shut up about my opinions and get on with the album review.
My favourite song on the record was the track "Sacrifice" the song starts out heavy and only gets heavier. With a drum intro that is almost iconic and had a definite Pantera feel to it, the vocals are not far from the intro and they rip into your chest and pull your heart out within seconds. The absolute brutality of the vocals really sets the tone for what you can expect from the rest of the song. Its fast, its angry and it'll have you head banging in a matter of seconds. The melodic parts of the song like the chorus are not your typical vocals. Although the singer isn't openly growling the raspy edge to the vocals makes sure that the song doesn't loose the heavy vibe even for a second as Goodbye Graceful continues hammering their assault into the listener.
The next song that caught my attention was "Ringworm" the song starts off with quick growls and spastic musical verses, which cause for an immensely heavy beginning immediately launching the audience into a rage for no reason other then the music is just that heavy. Within the first thirty seconds of the song we are met with a beautifully orchestrated breakdown that slows the pace of the song down without sacrificing the anger and rage thats being portrayed and gives the drummer a chance to get some gatorade before he keels over from dehydration. After about fifteen seconds of this face melting breakdown the song gets back into its violent and sporadic loop. Near the end of the song Goodbye Graceful throws us a curve ball and does quite possibly the weirdest breakdown I've ever heard. The harsh tuned down guitars and angry drum hits are silenced and followed by a few extremely melodic synthesizer notes. Now it only lasts for about three seconds before the harsh breakdown continues. But then the loop continues keeping their audience in a state of perpetual shock not knowing what's going on. At first it caught me off guard and I wasn't sure how I felt about it but as the song progressed and the loops continued I began to love it. The quick melodic synth notes added a whole other musical layer to the song.
The next song I heard was entitled "Set Us Free" the guitar solo that starts this album off is amazing, I loved every second of it and my only complaint was it wasn't longer but one can't complain to much when the growls of the song are so powerful that your eyes almost bug out of your head. I have no idea if this song had an underlying meaning or what even the song was about, but what I do know is that it is insanely heavy even with the first traditional clean vocals to be heard on the album Goodbye Graceful manages to keep us in a constant state of rage. That rage only intensifies when we are met with the breakdown that happens about three quarters of the way into the song and continues till the very last note. "Set Us Free" is a roller coaster from the opening note till the final smash of the cymbal.
The final song I heard on the record was entitled "Black and Blue" which had a very different intro from any of the other songs on the record. It started off relatively soft in a power ballad style which I was surprised by given the other songs starting off like a derailed freight train. The song is by far the most meaningful and softest track on the record but lets face it can any Rock & Roll album really be complete without a song about a girl? Which "Black and Blue" is all about a girl I assume and really brings the emotional feel to the record. This song may not be the favourite for some of you diehard metal fans who like your metal to be untainted with clean vocals. I for one though think that their is a time for growls and a time for the melodic undertones and clean vocals.I believe good by Graceful hit the nail on the head with their timing and that their EP and will make an insanely strong impression on anyone who listens to their EP.
Goodbye Graceful put forth an excellent EP that many of you will love and I would highly recommend them. They have an original sound and doing things their own way and I respect anyone who puts out the music they want to put out with little consideration for the outside world. But in Goodbye Graceful's case the music they've put out also happens to be very well written and is sure to be a hit with any metal head who gives this great band a shot.
Goodbye Graceful's EP is available on all major music buying platforms for more information check out their face book.
-------> https:www.facebook.com/goodbyegraceful
Headbangers Heaven Productions.
Eric Snelling.
2016 All Rights Reserved.
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