ALBUM REVIEW: A Grayer Dawn – Molasses Barge
Recently signing a worldwide deal with up and coming doom/sludge label Argonauta Records, Pittsburgh doom metallers MOLASSES BARGE search for the path to ascend on their sophomore album A Grayer Dawn only to come up a little short. Formed in 2008 originally as a side project, MOLASSES BARGE went on to create an EP and played a few live appearances before a few line-up changes added a second guitarist and new bass player to the band. A few EPs and a guitarist change later, they released their first Self Titled album in 2017 through Blackseed Records. 2020 sees their second full-length release, which is leaner and sounds more raw than its predecessor.
An Anaconda sized riff starts off the album with bite courtesy of opener The Snake that is complimented by smashing cymbals that are perhaps a little high in the raw sounding mix. The vocals of Brian ‘Butch’ Balich enter the fray and are incredibly impressive. He soars over the instruments with great power and range. They remain the highlight of the album. Sadly the next three tracks lose the momentum gradually and lack any real standout moments aside from the vocals. A couple of sprinkled solos in Holding Patterns are tasteful but aren’t enough to quite save the tracks from mediocrity. Control Letting Go features a spoken word intro akin to Nergal from BEHEMOTH before turning back to the powerful yells most prominent on all tracks. It would have been interesting to hear more of this variation with the vocals dotted about the record and could see the band experiment with different styles going forward. There are comparisons to Royal Thunder in the style of vocal delivery and certain guitar lines.
Luckily Black Wings Unfurl pick the album back up with a stomping riff and opening solo. The vocals again provide the highlight but the rhythm section cannot be ignored and provide a solid backing to aide the power flowing through the track. Aside opener The Snake, the first half of the album seems a little uninspired and lacking the purpose and drive seen in the second half. It’s not until track five Black Wings Unfurl that you feel the band really come alive.
Distant continues in the same vein with what is probably the catchiest riff on the album. They shake things up about two minutes with another dirty riff that rumbles alongside a short but sweet guitar solo. This track seems one of the busiest with its changes in tempo and multiple guitar leads. This flows nicely into title track A Grayer Dawn with it’s pounding drums and fantastic guitar work. The vocals again are launched over the top and allow you to feel the power that this band can create. It almost has a southern swagger feel to it like a down-tuned BLACK STONE CHERRY. The album comes to a close at a surprisingly short runtime of just over thirty minutes with the instrumental Reprise that closes the album with a fade-out from another sludgy riff with littered with string bends.
Aside from the negatives, there is a lot to like about this album. The vocals shine throughout and the guitar work is on point. It’s just a shame that they fail to create the memorable tracks that could have made these guys major players in the doom metal scene. There is a lot of potential here and I can see great things for MOLASSES BARGE in the future. Hard rock doom? Doom rock? However you want to classify Pittsburgh metal act MOLASSES BARGE, you can be assured that anyone who calls themselves a fan of down-tuned hard-rocking music will find something within A Grayer Dawn to enjoy here if they are willing to take the time and look beneath the surface and find the spark that is there hiding underneath just waiting to ignite.
Rating: 6/10
A Grayer Dawn is out now via Argonauta Records.
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