ninehertz

I completely accept that it's my own taste and negative bias that says to me that "instrumental post-metal" isn't the most enticing genre around. But there's also a reason why Cambridge's The Grey, instrumental post-metal The Grey, are one of the most sought after bands on gigs and all dayers in the UK underground, and why you should always do your damnest to catch them if they play near.

This is a band who exceed expectation - every time: every release, every gig - through mastery of their craft. They seemingly build their tracks with intricate care, and subtly play with their style so not to stick in the same repetitive groove. Their new long player, out on Majestic Mountain, the cool Swedish stoner label, takes it even further, providing stark variance to create a truly interesting approach, an album that feels like a story with chapters told from different perspectives. This is most obvious through the input of several guests, but to put it down solely to that would be to miss the intent driving The Grey.

The list of outside conspirator names is wildly broad in terms of their musical bases - Ricky Warwick, Ace from Skunk Anansie, Will Haven's Grady Avenell to name just three. The song featuring the latter, Sharpen the Knife is the one your eyes and ears draw to first, an appetising cross Atlantic team up, and it doesn't disappoint, inevitably perhaps sounding like Will Haven brought into the modern day. The contrast with the melancholic, Warwick sung Don't Say Goodbye is stark.

And despite these spectacles, it is second song La Bruja (Cygnus) that perhaps showcases the album's versatility most effectively. Its curious and absorbing textures have an almost tribal pattern to them, reminding me of bands like Cultura Tres, highlighting how often you are surprised listening. And this ultimately is the beauty of Kodok - it is a diverse and cultured range, curated expertly so that you never know what's you'll find one song to the next.