01. Black Dye
02. Nocturno
03. Drag Me Down
04. Beneath The Altar
05. Crystals
06. Unshut
07. Slivers
08. Wild Eyes
09. Nebulas
10. Heavy Dew
The Acid Gods will Grin when they hear just how heavy this bass sounds.
Grin are a German stoner/sludge duo consisting of Jan Oberg (drums/vocals) and Sabee Oberg (bass). Duos have been making a real impact on the sludge/doom scene as of late, what with the likes of Mares Of Thrace and Year Of The Cobra. Grin, are unlike those bands, however, mainly for the fact they don’t have a guitarist in their line-up, instead only featuring a bassist and drummer. Obviously their decision not to feature a guitarist is an unusual one, but Grin certainly make up for this by emphasizing crushing, low-toned bass and powerful drum work.
They’ve gradually built a solid reputation for themselves since emerging onto the scene in 2016, with five full-length releases to show for it, including latest effort Acid Gods. This record consists of 10 mostly short songs that delve into a combination of heavy-psych, sludge, stoner, and doom, not unlike their previous albums. The song structures are mostly basic, once again never exceeding a middling tempo, and with the absence of guitar, most emphasis is once again placed on the bass. There’s a reasonable level of groove and traditional doom melody presented in the bass lines, but the key clearly is in the powerful tone.
The sound is fuzzed to the eyeball in a classic stoner fashion, with reverb effects applied to add even more devastation. There also seems to be a lot of tinkering with noise elements as well, so it’s hard at times to tell whether guitars are actually present or not. The drums pound thunderously but in a stylish manner; although they’re not necessarily a standout feature, it takes something special to drum away while performing vocals at the same time. The angry and slightly distorted vocals are presented in a monotonous sludge fashion, similarly to Crowbar‘s Kirk Windstein, and this complements the music really well.
There’s not much to differentiate between each song, and overall it does lack standout moments, let alone a particular highlight track, but the flow is effortless, and the sound is relentlessly powerful. I can’t say I’ve ever been blown away by Grin‘s work prior to this release, but I’ve always admired this duo for how they manage to create such a powerful and dynamic sound with so few instruments at their disposal. Here, they’ve shown they’re capable of creating more than just a wall of heavy sound and fuzz; they’ve developed and matured during their decade of existence, and might even in time convince me they’re capable of rubbing shoulders with the top guns in modern stoner/sludge/doom. I don’t think Acid Gods does the job quite just yet, but it’s a fine effort that ticks the essential boxes for this category, and I suspect many who follow this style will appreciate it for what it is.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 7 |
| Songwriting: | 6 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 7 |
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Written on 03.06.2025 by
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