#gris klein

Gris Klein was released on the new label for atmospheric metal band Cult Of Luna as its second release. For a label to release something so monumental as its second release is fucking mindblowing. Granted, Birds In Row have been around for a while, over a decade at this point, but it's still beyond impressive.

Hailing from Laval, a small town in the Loire in France, Birds In Row follows a trend alongside important French artists like Gojira and Alcest - some of the best French heavy music is found outside of the city. Just like those artists, Birds In Row has this intense use of atmosphere to its advantage - parts of this album feel like they were made for travelling through the countryside whilst it's below freezing. It's weirdly comforting in that way.

The album itself is a masterwork in what screamo can be as a genre. Significantly more reserved in comparison to pioneers like Orchid or Portraits of Past or Usurp Synapse, Birds In Row's sound merges the intense emotion of screamo with the immersion of post-metal and post-hardcore to really let you sit with those intense emotions. There are moments like Noah that feature almost no screaming; tracks like Daltonians with intense buildups that sound more like Stranded by Gojira than a screamo track. By taking the best of both worlds you have this high caliber experience.

The lyrics are admittedly abstract, but still get those feelings of grief and depression across, just like the greats of screamo. Emotions are like that - hard to describe but certain imagery just kinda gets it across, idk how to explain it. That and the use of repetition on lines is almost laser-focused on where and when to ruminate on those feelings; it's incredibly artistic.

Also, if you want an album that does transitions well that wasn't RENAISSANCE, this album is absolutely it. So rarely do you hear a screamo album land those transitions and crossfades into tracks so well, and have the intensity of those tracks carry over and flow like water across. The production too, holy shit - the level of attention to making sure every instrument is both heavy and heard is landed perfectly, and the chorus of Water Wings, the distorted glitchy riff of Rodin, the almost garage-rock feeling of Nympheas giving this feeling of being young and just wanting to fight everything to feel something... it's beautiful.

Idk what else to say, Gris Klein truly blew me away. One of the best albums of the 2020s, it perfectly paints this bleakness and intensity that we're living in right now. I'm waxing poetic at this point but also holy fuck, do not miss out on this.

Favorite Track: ALL (N/A)