Review Summary: Australia's best, most hard working noise rock trio create their most varied and precise release to date.
Grey Daturas are Australia premiere noise rock/drone/post-metal band and if you've never heard of them, that's probably why. However, the reasons that you should have are many; they're on Neurot Recordings, they've collaborated with artists like
Wolf Eyes and
Yellow Swans and they've released one of the best albums of its genre this year.
Return to Disruption is the third album from Grey Daturas and their most accessible, and perhaps their best to date. Comparisons to groups like
Sunn O))),
Wolf Eyes,
Boris and
Neurosis are certainly inevitable, but Grey Daturas really have their own thing going that manages to combine many of the best elements of those groups with many of their own unique qualities (they don't rehearse and their live shows are improvisational, for example). To elaborate, Grey Daturas certainly have the density and often the tunelessness of Sunn O))), but they manage to be far more dynamic. They have the abrasive qualities of Wolf Eyes without being completely brutal 100% of the time. They have the eclectic nature of Boris in terms of influences but are far more focused and they have the heaviness and epic qualities of Neurosis without any of the structure.
Essentially,
Return to Disruption is heavy album that combines elements of drone, noise, metal and avant-garde music into a varied but cohesive piece. Opener "Beyond and Into the Ultimate" is the album's fastest track with catchy drumming and dense, tuneless riffing while tracks like the title track, "Balance of Convenience" and "Undisturbed" are made up from some of the most abrasive noise ever put to tape and are remarkably sparse and minimal. Perhaps where the album is at its best though, is on its three longer tracks; "Answered in the Negative", "Demarcation Disputes/Unity" and "Neuralgia", all of which are incredibly dense songs dominated by feedback and low end drone. Even with the ridiculous density of each of those tracks, Grey Daturas manage to craft heavy, memorable riffs and bring them to the front of the mix, creating a sonically overwhelming aesthetic while ultimately bringing each piece of music to a meaningful conclusion.
Simply put,
Return to Disruption represents mastery from one of Australia's most consistent and hard working bands, managing brutality, density, memorability, experimentation, epic composition and eclecticism all in a neat seven track package. Highly, highly recommended.
