Dying Within by Grave Tone Productions (Music)
Performed by Grave Tone Productions
Published by B@Home Wreckordings
He finally did it.
If you’ve read my reviews of the releases of Grave Tone Productions over the years, I usually harp that it’s all good, but when main man Brian Davis cuts loose with the heavy stuff, everything elevates above the other spooky instrumental bands.
Dying Within, the latest full-length release from GTP, is just that: almost wall-to-wall heavy. And yes, it’s what he’s needed to do for some time.
See, a lot of people make instrumental spooky music, starting with the original legends, Midnight Syndicate. To engage in that stuff, unless you’re really going to get radical, is to reinvent the wheel. You’re not going to top MidSyn.
GTP always stood out with the heavy stuff. And now, finally, we have a complete picture of what a full release can be from Davis.
This disc starts out heavy and stays that way. Other than some spoken word work to up the spooky level, it’s again an instrumental album. While the creepy keys and sound effects remain, the focus here is the chunk.
The first track out of the gate, “Home Is Where the Horror Is,” actually has a bit of a horror-billy beat. It’s a strong way to kick things off: a speedy shot across the bow that this isn’t your standard synth-heavy mood music.
After some mid-paced chunky stuff, “Deathtime Story” breaks things up a bit with a more traditional keys-and-voices track. Instead of a ballad, Davis chooses to deepen the mood and add more chills. “Panic Room” dips into math metal territory with some switched-up beats and progressive guitar work, while “No Way Out” swerves into the pit with some speedy thrash licks.
The album ends with the best track and, I’ll venture, the best song GTP has ever pulled off. “It Was Only a Nightmare” is the perfect blend of both sides of GTP’s work; it’s heavy as hell but also has a fair amount of keyboards and strings to create a cinematic thriller with enough stomp to get your blood pumping.
A drummer by trade, known best in Houston as the skinsman for popular rock act 30 Foot Fall, Davis handles everything here with skill. Steve Garcia laid down some tasty guitar solos that are peppered throughout the album, and Brian’s brother, Jason, helped out with most of the heavy guitar riffs. But everything else is handled by Davis. Production is solid, although the guitar tone gets a little thin in places. It’s not enough to do much harm to the enjoyment of the tracks, but it has to be noted.
All told, this is a fantastic release from GTP. Dark, spooky, heavy music with a diverse feel across the tracks, it’ll please any fan of scary or heavy music. If you dig both, you’ll love it.
Check out the Grave Tone Productions website for more information!
Track Listing:
1 Home Is Where the Horror Is
2 Death Bed
3 Murder House
4 Don’t Open the Door
5 Dying Within
6 Deathtime Story
7 Panic Room
8 No Way Out
9 It Was Only a Nightmare
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Grave Tone Productions - Dying Within
Categorized:Reviews
