Swedish five-piece, Gloson, emerge from the murky depths of Halmstad to unleash their atmospheric sludge/post-metal debut ‘Grimen’ upon the world. Guitarist/vocalist, Christian Larsson, played bass in Sweden’s Shining for six years, which goes some way in explaining the bleak depravity of this release.
‘Prowler’ opens the record with all the sonic impact of a sucker punch to the throat – it’s guttural, forceful and devastatingly miserable. Demonic vocals bellow and growl over the top of glacially paced riffs that shoehorn in the occasional groove just to keep listeners on their toes. The dynamic rarely switches, which can become quite tiresome after a few spins, especially with some tracks exceeding the 10-minute mark. However, if punishing brutality and a test of will is what you’re after then this album is pretty much perfect.
Fans of Walk Through Fire, Mouth of the Architect and Inter Arma will all appreciate Gloson – their densely textured compositions and rough around the edges execution makes for engrossing, swampy sound quality and a hellish listening experience. ‘Grimen’ is definitely not going to make its way onto your party playlist for the summer, however, when you’re in the midst of a gnarly comedown it will be there waiting…
(7/10 Angela Davey)
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