Greyfell is a relatively new band from Rouen (France), who released their first album, “I Got the Silver” in 2015. I have to admit that I missed that release, so I’m happy to get a new chance with the second one, which is called “Horsepower”. Looking at the artwork, I’d expect something related to post-rock, but looks can be deceiving. Instead, Greyfell plays psychedelic doom/sludge with a hefty dose of spacerock.
Starting with opener “People’s Temple”, the band heavily relies on massive riffs, distant vocals and a fuzzy sound reminiscent of bands like Sleep and Electric Wizard. Greyfell put great effort into creating the right vibe for this kind of music, making it sound as thick and crunchy as it should be, which grants the band some credit. However, I’m less impressed with the songwriting, which is decent, but not more than that. The only exception is the fourth track, “Spirit of the Bear”, which is also the heaviest song on the album. Another issue that usually pops up in this genre is that things can get a bit dull and monotonous, but with a playing time just short of 35 minutes, “Horsepower” avoids that pitfall.
It’s clear that Greyfell is a talented band and with a bit more focus on creating memorable songs, they could become a force to be reckoned with. In the meantime, if you’re into psychedelic doom, you might just want to give “Horsepower” a chance. As this kind of music tends to work really well in a live setting, I’m also looking forward to seeing the band perform on stage one day.
(7/10 Lykle Thijssen)
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