- Genre: 'Rock'
- Release Date: '2nd September 2016'
Our Rating:
Well, what about that? A band who draw influences from rock, metal and post-hardcore kicking off an EP with a brief yet grand, sweeping post-rock/post metal instrumental track before piling in with the riffs. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with it, and often, the intros are beautiful pieces in themselves. The build-up, then the impact of the opening bars of the first track proper – yes, it works. But it’s so predictable. Do the bands all sit around saying ‘well, we’ve got a killer album of rage-filled anthems – and the obligatory melodic choruses or breaks – but we need a delicate, moody intro track before we’re done’? Then one of the guys starts tinkling out something delicate like the ‘Imogen’ / ‘Imagine’ scene in ‘This is Spinal Tap’ and boom! Not that I want to be too hard on Greyhaven (that’s the UK Greyhaven, not te Louisville Kentucky, US Greyhaven).
‘State of Mind’ contains every standard trope of contemporary metal as listed above. The snarling guttural vocals and hefty riffs are utterly brutal, the clean vocals and soaring guitars of the choruses aching with emotional depth and the songs are strong on every level: compositionally, in terms of the arrangements and the execution. The sound is simultaneously textured and detailed, and up front and in your face. So while it’s formulaic, it’s probably one of the best releases of its type I’ve heard in a while.
