GREY MOUNTAIN Delivers a Genre-Defying Debut That Redefines Modern Metal with Grey Mountain – Album Review

The trans-Atlantic metal collaboration GREY MOUNTAIN is set to release their self-titled debut on March 7, 2025, via Eat Lead and Die Music. Featuring members of Monsterworks, Bull Elephant, Construct of Lethe, and Black Harvest, the album brings together Jon Higgs (guitar/vocals), Kishor Haulenbeek (guitar, bass, vocals), and James Garnett (drums) for a genre-spanning sonic experience. Mixed by Higgs and mastered by the legendary Dan Swanö at Unisound, GREY MOUNTAIN is a forceful, unpredictable, and thrillingly organic take on modern metal.

The album refuses to sit neatly in any one metal subgenre, instead weaving together elements of traditional heavy metal, death, doom, post-metal, and even dissonant avant-garde flourishes. The chemistry between Higgs, Haulenbeek, and Garnett is immediately evident—what began as a modest side project has morphed into a full-fledged entity with its own distinctive voice.

Higgs’ riffing is both crushing and melodic, with a foundation of classic heavy metal sensibility expanded by the sheer adventurousness of Haulenbeek’s contributions. His lead work, initially described as mere “melodic guitars,” is anything but restrained—these are soaring, virtuosic leads that elevate the compositions into something far more expansive. Meanwhile, Garnett’s drumming is muscular and dynamic, providing a rhythmic backbone that allows the songs to shift effortlessly between grandiose and punishing.

“Grey Mountain” kicks things off with a sprawling, ominous introduction before exploding into jagged riffing and guttural vocals. It sets the tone for the album’s unpredictable twists and turns. “Perpetual Imbalance” embodies the band’s genre-fluidity, shifting between traditional metal gallops, eerie atmospheric passages, and bursts of extreme aggression. “A Universal Evil” features dissonant riffing and relentless drumming that create a sense of mounting chaos. Haulenbeek’s contributions shine here, with intricate guitar layering and a searing lead break.

“Hermitage” slows things down with a haunting, doom-laden atmosphere. The track emphasizes weighty, meditative riffing, and Higgs’ vocals add a mournful edge to the composition.

“Many Shades, a Storm” is one of the most dynamic tracks on the album, moving fluidly between blackened tremolo-picked fury and sorrowful, melodic interludes. The interplay between the two vocalists is especially striking.

“Decline and Fall” serves as a crushing, apocalyptic anthem with a colossal chorus. Its progressive structure and layered instrumentation make it one of the standout moments on the record.

“Living Mythology” closes the album on an epic note, blending galloping rhythms with atmospheric grandeur. The outro fades into eerie dissonance, leaving an unsettling but exhilarating final impression.

GREY MOUNTAIN is a stunning debut that defies easy classification, offering a listening experience that feels as expansive as the mountain imagery in its title. With its intricate compositions, raw emotion, and sheer sonic weight, the album is both cerebral and visceral—an immersive journey through metal’s many shades. The production, especially with Swanö’s mastering touch, captures the full dynamic range, making the listening experience even more impactful.

For fans of forward-thinking metal who appreciate both ferocity and melody, GREY MOUNTAIN is essential listening. The band has already hinted at a second album in the works, and if this debut is anything to go by, the next chapter promises to be just as compelling.