Review Summary: Galactic thrash: An excellent mix between heaviness and tasteful, futuristic melodies.
It’s normal to see on the Internet many resurgences and comebacks of several bands which, for whatever reason, didn’t get the recognition they deserved back then, or didn’t have as much popularity in their times as now. This is the case of North Carolina thrashers Gross Reality, who despite having only two studio albums to date have been in the thrash scene since the early 90s. Alas, the difficulties of getting a record contract at that time didn’t allow the band to expand beyond the demos and be a live act, and by the mid-90s they went on a long hiatus. Add in that thrash and its greatest representatives were passing through rough times, and you pretty much have a decent explanation of why this band didn’t record a proper LP until 2014.
After the moderate success of their debut
Overthrow, Gross Reality decided to venture and go further musically in their next effort. Potentially influenced by melodic thrash/tech-thrash icons such as Heathen, early Annihilator and especially Paradox, the American trio decided to make a more serious, focused and atmospheric work with this year’s
Escaping Gravity. With only 8 songs, Gross Reality’s 2017 outing is an adventurous melodic thrash trip with some small progressive influences. Instrumentally and compositionally, the band has clearly matured in a matter of three years; the riffs got more technical, the songs became more colorful and vivid, there is great care in bassist Daniel Powell’s vocals and tracks such as the title track or the 7-minute mini-epic ''Event Horizon'' try to go beyond the traditional, strait thrash sound, presenting more elaborate, multi-part structures while trying to transmit an epic, ominous and futuristic atmosphere.
The sound here is extremely clean and polished, and while some thrash fans may find this as a drawback from the first listen, a rawer sounding album would have taken away from the enjoyment of the astral arrangements and atmospheres. The production is clean and neat, yet it doesn’t suck the very life out of the songs nor makes the record in general sound too flat or sterile. Instrumentally
Escaping Gravity still kills; guitarist Roland Arthur performs speedy, sharp riffs with precision and aggression, while his solos are technical, shredding but wank-free and brief. Drummer Jason Wheeler keeps pace with the guitars more than adequately, and so does Daniel Powell’s bass; it lacks the prowess of the other instruments, since he excels more in the vocal work, but in general it provides a good and solid support to the guitars.
Escaping Gravity emphasizes thrash’s most melodic side, sometimes approaching heavy/power metal, mainly courtesy by the production work, some guitar harmonies and the vocals of Daniel Powell; he’s not going to be the toughest, most aggressive and brutal vocalist you’ll ever heard, since his vocals mainly sit in a melodic mid-range reminiscent of Paradox’s Charly Steinhauer and he delivers in a more operatic, Heathen/Forbidden-reminiscent singing style. However, his vocals don’t feel obnoxious, pompous or out of place on the mix, and his performances echo the power and energy of the songs, delivering his lines with impressive force and speed.
Musically when Gross Reality dabbles into atmospheres, the band doesn’t sound forced; the album masterfully recreates the cosmic and astral vibe that transmits its cover art, yet the songs don’t fall into impenetrable, endless instrumental jams. The aforementioned ''Event Horizon'' shows some of the band’s strengths, with slow, dark and acoustic sections reminiscent of Forbidden’s
Twisted Into Form, as well as showcases Roland Arthur’s versatility as a guitarist. It’s noteworthy the band’s ability to create some futuristic, prog-ish tunes without overwhelming the listener with so much instrumental virtuosity, and songs like the galactic mid-tempo ''Invitation'' do nothing but prove it.
Nevertheless, as every modern thrash record,
Escaping Gravity provides a fair amount of aggressive and fast moments. The rockers on this album don’t resemble to the ones on
Overthrow, which in that respect were brief, raw, plain and direct, plus the ''thrash revival'' sound and influences were easier to perceive. Here the melodies are more worked and prominent; in particular, the opening ''Dimensional'' is the song where you can notice more the power metal tinges, with its crisp and unstoppable riffs and the vocal melodies dominating the sound. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a complete ''happy tunes'' cheese-fest. The band’s new sound certainly owes a lot to Paradox’s
Riot Squad, and you can feel it in the fast parts. The best of the bunch, ''Zero Day'', sets up the album’s breakneck pace, presenting the more standard thrash influence in its fierce, punchy riffs and some of the album’s more impressive drumming. Other songs that present the band’s crunchiest sound are ''The Incomplete'' and the somewhat more technical ''Into the Vault'', with occasional tempo changes and abstract riffage.
Although modern thrash acts have lately received comments about being very derivative and unoriginal, this year Gross Reality showed us that this metal subgenre still has some impressive things to say and offer. Overall,
Escaping Gravity excellently fulfills its purpose; being an album not so complex, inaccessible and pretentious, nor so simple, primitive and typical, its 37 minutes constitute a very enjoyable listen that anyone who’s at least a little interested in modern thrash should find interesting. With a little more risk and willingness to experiment more, as well as more recognition by the metal community, the North Carolina trio has a great chance to deliver something outstanding in the near future.
