“Grizzly vs. Guillotine” is the latest release by Laser Eyes, an excellent Australian duo based in Graz. It’s their second full-length album, released by Grazil Records, a prolific record label specializing in heavy underground music. Released earlier this year and consisting of nine marvelous tracks, “Grizzly vs. Guillotine” demonstrates the natural development of this duo, proving that underground music still has so much to showcase through fresh, unique, innovative ideas and impressive musicianship. For those who might not know, Laser Eyes dive deep into the stoner rock realm, but with so many additional elements involved along this marvelous sonic journey. Therefore, you’ll stumble upon some of the finest ingredients of sludge, doom, psych rock, progressive rock, and heavy rock. All these subgenres uplift this material to new heights by enhancing, accentuating, and decorating each moment of every song. These experimentations with many different but complementary subgenres unquestionably work to the advantage of this material, proving that Laser Eyes thought about everything while writing, composing, arranging, recording, and producing their latest album.
The band offers an entire arsenal of sonic and rhythmic weaponry. The combination of guitars and bass does wonders for these tracks by shaping a colossal wall of sound, capable of tearing everything in a broader radius. Of course, the usage of these instruments depends on the current moment, mood, and ambiance, but every sonic maneuver and rhythmic acrobatic is performed with such precision and finesse. This interplay exudes some of the best instrumentations presented on the music scene nowadays, as guitar and bass shine with heavy, catchy, memorable, engaging riffs, harmonies, melodies, and themes. These orchestrations shine in the limelight throughout the entire album, and it’s nearly mindblowing how many diverse, brilliant ideas they incorporated into these nine songs. Of course, you’ll notice some guitar solos and expectations along the way, adding more depth and complexity to the overall listening experience. The generous servings of distortion create a raw, abrasive, fuzzy ambiance, decorating these tracks even more.
The vocals play a significant role here, as they guide the listening apparatus by seamlessly balancing low, mid, and high notes. These vocal harmonies perfectly match all the instrumentations, while the generous servings of reverb and delay emphasize the colossal sound. In the meantime, the exceptional drumming performance propels these instrumentations to new heights while keeping everything in line. The comprehensive collection of cleverly assembled, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics makes this sonic journey even more exciting, and ear-appealing. Perhaps Laser Eyes are a duo, but they sound like a quartet or quintet. Their powerful output defined through tastefully assembled vocal, sonic, and rhythmic acrobatics creates a nearly cathartic experience worth repeating over and over again. It’s a stoner gem you surely don’t want to miss. “Grizzly vs. Guillotine” arrives on red vinyl, empowered with an impressive illustration of a grizzly destroying a guillotine, an artwork that vividly depicts the title. This album sounds and looks amazing, so you should head over to Grazil Records immediately and grab your copy.
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