You’ve heard about space Black Metal, you’ve heard about space Death Metal, even about cosmic Thrash. I guess it was about time we started hearing something about space Post-Metal. Yes, it finally happened: space has become a theme for deconstruction. Grid is volunteering to offer us an epic journey into our own interstellar origins, which already sounds refreshing, but can The World Before Us stand out in this vast universe filled with indifference? That’s what we’re here to find out!
Grid takes a diametrically opposite approach compared to many other bands when it comes to tackling this Sci-Fi subject. Instead of traveling into different galaxies and going nuts about aliens, it looks inward, searching for answers and ideas within Earth. It has all the trippy and foggy vibes you could expect from a Sleep album, but without the weed abuse. It remains interesting even if the track structures are rather weird and purposely unbalanced. There are three tracks sandwiched between different types of interludes. As you know, I usually hate that, but Grid manages to keep it interesting most of the time.
You might think that since this is a Post-Metal album it has to sound more depressing than puppies dying in the cold, but no! The World Before Us has groove and straightforward riffs that made me think of an old Doom Metal band like Reverend Bizarre, rather than Amenra. There’s also the fact that the album feels instrumental in essence, reminiscent of Pelican. There are some vocals, but they add novelty to the work here; they’re never the protagonists. It’s like when you ask for a double-cheeseburger with enough calories to kill someone with diabetes, but you do it with a diet coke to decrease your guilt. Except here, the vocals are good for the album and your cholesterol.
What is there to dislike? Well, the pace of the album is strange. You have mammoth tracks that show everything Grid is capable of (“Our History Hidden” or “Architects of Our World”) and then interludes that make me wonder if they were needed (“Singularity” or “Contact”). I would’ve preferred just another long and epic track instead. Plus, “Duality” is four minutes of ideas that could’ve taken two to perform just as well. If anything, I just wanted more of the beef (sorry, my veggie readers!) of the album.
Yet, Grid was a fun ride that kept me engaged with truly high peaks. There were some hiccups here and there, but nothing that would deter the enjoyment of someone who already lives and breathes Post, Doom, or even Sludge Metal. This is Post-Metal for people who hit the showers often and believe in deodorant. If that’s good or bad, you’ll be the judge. In my case, I’m going to be returning to The World Before Us in no time!
Label: Barking Dog Studios
Release date: July 27, 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/gridbandofficial
Country: USA
Score: A muddy trip to our past, or 3.5/5.0 for people who need to ruin the fun!
Metal Eclipse Reviews 