“If I could sink then I would dive beneath your skin.”
Gothenburg metalcore trio Grayscale Season are looking to continue their hot streak with the impending release of their fourth full-length album, feel something new. The follow-up to 2022’s acclaimed Do You Like Violence, the group have once again teamed up with the prolific Buster Odeholm (Humanity’s Last Breath, Vildhjarta, thrown) on the writing and production end of things. The new record arrives following the release of a number of its tracks, dating back to November of 2023 with lead single “Verified”.
feel something new kicks off on a strong note with opening track “Still Hurts”. Screamed verses from harsh vocalist Eddie Lejhagen are offset by sung choruses from bassist and singer Adam Dahlman, while eight-stringed chugs courtesy of guitarist Richard Sörensen carry the vocals through the song’s first half. It is in its second half, however, where things start to get interesting, with “Still Hurts” reaching full bloom as a stunning acoustic guitar makes way for a devastating thall-infused breakdown. Dahlman’s repeated and haunting “please stop” looms over the ending stretch of the track, while Lejhagen’s “all the violence, it still hurts” ties things back to the group’s previous record.
The front half of feel something new progresses in straightforward fashion, with tracks “It Consumes Me” and “Verified” more or less falling into typical metalcore song structures. “Hands” is one of the more heavy-hitting and interesting cuts on the record, using pitch-shifted guitar to bring another touch of thall into the mix. Sörensen’s muddied, downtuned riffing brings a djenty heft to the instrumental backdrops, adding some appreciated groove. Pristine mixing from Odeholm does quite a bit of heavy lifting, emphasizing the weightiness of the instrumentals while balancing them well with the more delicate moments across the record.
That’s not to downplay Grayscale Season’s vocal duo, however, as there are plenty of standout lyrical moments on the record from them both. While Lejhagen might not display a huge amount of range across feel something new’s twenty-seven minute runtime, the strength and clarity in his delivery proves him an impactful vocalist. Whether it’s a catchy vocal hook or the piano and synth-laden late album cut “Dolour”, Dahlman provides some of the album’s most memorable moments, exemplifying why his distinctive falsetto stands as one of the trademark elements of the group’s sound.
The second half of feel something new traverses over its own set of peaks and valleys. The aforementioned “Dolour” is the album’s token soft track, allowing for some breathing room in its final stretch. “Custom Painted” falls back into a formulaic structure, though Dahlman’s chorus on this track does feel more complete than some of his other vocal refrains. Penultimate track “Gold” continues to utilize his singing in a more substantial way while also mixing things up a bit with the song’s progression. “two” incorporates some more interesting textures and layers to set the stage for the record’s finale, with flurried guitars sharing space with ethereal pianos and ambient synths. With Dahlman once again taking point, his final “I can’t wait to feel something new / these songs I write, they’re all about you” followed by Lejhagen’s “everyone has a secret that could break your heart” helps wrap things up in a grand, yet tidy, fashion.
There is a clear creative direction that Grayscale Season have taken with feel something new, with the record feeling refined and cohesive in execution on top of an already solid foundation. While the flashes of brilliance shown across feel something new are enough to make it a worthwhile listen, there does seem to be an overall sense of the group playing it safe as they put forth the most compact and distilled take on their sound yet.
7/10
feel something new is set to release this Friday March 8th via self-release, with a link to pre-save the record available here.