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In the heavy music scene, there often just isn’t time for feelings. So much rock, punk, and metal is generally pretty superficial, and even at their darkest and deepest, can still keep a party afloat. But sometimes in the grey, rainy gloom of the northwest, something more introspective can be just what the doctor ordered. The Grieving, the debut from fresh up and comers A Province of Thay, revitalizes the art of expressing emotion through music, blending elements of post-rock, shoegaze, progressive rock, and post-metal into a beautiful and driving conceptual album. The album starts off with “All We Know Is Loss”, building from a drawn out introduction of spaced out guitar and drums before falling softly into a realm of thick, layered instruments and slow, steady drumming. Guitarists Ronnie Navarro and Tyler Shannon gently progress and intertwine their melodies with keyboardist Dylan Abbott while bassist Gianni Sbisa and drummer Heather Davis keep the rhythm calmly moving forward. Navarro’s vocals enter the mix soaring and heartfelt, further adding a level of depth to the music and taking the listener to a place that is both comforting and chilling. The record moves on to a personal favorite, “A Legacy In Trees”, which begins with a subtle electronic rhythm that is soon joined by a deliciously melancholy piano melody, what most likely is an e-bowed guitar, and finally Navarro’s raspy, hushed voice, drenched in reverb. The vocals build and recede before the entire band kicks in, unleashing an anthemic ballad complete with thunderous, rolling drum fills and majestic, melodic guitar hooks. Lines like “Do I read through the journals you left behind? / Did you know how much I cared? / Will I read that you resented me? / The brother who wasn’t there” display a vulnerability that is relatable and touching while staying away from overdone cliches and over-convoluted metaphors. All the while, this record is an attempt at telling a story. While this may be difficult to gleam upon a first cursory listen, there are definitely lines which bring forth strong imagery and lay down some subtle sense of events and people. As Navarro desperately shouts “Your likeness graces no bust / In temple halls and homes / Or cemetery stones / There are no ballads wrote, or sonnets sung / Your song is in the leaves, I’ll carve you in the trees”, a narrative begins to form, and with each consecutive listen with lyrics readily available, the pieces of the story begin to come together. While only five songs, the album clocks in at just over 34 minutes, and the superb quality of the recording, attributed to the mix done by Derek Moree and mastering done by Ed Brooks, will leave those with decent sound systems or headphones very satisfied. Ultimately, The Grieving is an exceptionally strong debut release, and sets up A Province of Thay as a new band to keep tabs on. Listen to The Grieving and purchase a download at the official Bandcamp page: http://aprovinceofthay.bandcamp.com |
