Band:	Gloson
Album:	Grimen
Style:	Post-metal, Sludge metal
Release date:	February 13, 2017
A review by:	tea[m]ster

01. Prowler
02. Fabulist
03. Antlers
04. Cringe
05. Specter
06. Embodiment

Gloson is a five-piece post-metal band residing in Halmstad, Sweden. In 2014 I listened to their debut EP, Yearwalker, and came away thoroughly impressed. Now, after 2+ years, they have finally released their first full-length album, Grimen. A well-executed and high-standard effort in what is unfortunately now the Groundhog Day world for post-metal, Gloson showcase a sound unmistakably distinct from other post metal bands today, and I am so relieved.

The one prowess I noticed right from the advent of Grimen is the disquiet is particularly thick and represented by a substantial subset of sub-genres. Slow-burning sludge-y riffs, expansive and colossal doom exercises, and above-average death metal growls. The mixture is well-formed and beyond reproach. Very expressive and hallmarked by diligently placed crescendo. All the right ingredients in the proper proportions.

The song structures, in the forms of a healthy dosage of six songs totaling about 50 minutes, are an excellent balance of ambiance, the occasional explosion of layered-guitar, sludge-style riffage, and catchy chords stretched out to impossible lengths and soul-destroying tension. The production is top of the line; the soundscape and aura are one of murkiness, mixed low and often seeming to drown in a heavy and dense wall of sound. The mastering was done by Magnus Lindberg Productions of Cult Of Luna fame.

Grimen is a formidable debut album from a band who had a tremendous start. Gloson are obviously viable followers of the post-metal landscape and the influences in the music are apparent. However, after listening to Grimen a bunch of times I feel Gloson bring something more to the table, didgeridoo and all. But for those who need a starting point: any similar bands, you ask? Moanaa, Amenra and Izah are the first few I think of, and Gloson can sit right beside them.

Explore it here: bandcamp