Gruel - Gruel

There is nothing wrong with your stereo. Do not attempt to adjust the volume or fast forward. What you are experiencing is the very long, the very heavy. The mind wanders, seemingly, to the endless abyss that can only be found, with Gruel. Do not be alarmed by the time. Here, it exists only as a figment of the imagination. As you bang your head, and think to yourself "Hey, that was a pretty damn good song", only to look at the time, and find that there are still 9 minutes left in the song. Be warned, this is not an album for the faint of heart, or attention span, for that matter.


Gruel do many things right in the hour that makes up this album. The songs themselves tend to take twists and turns, that make the listener think of various great bands. Half assed comparisons of Gruel to Neurosis can be made, sure. I just made one myself. There are parts that make me think of Midnight. Excellent, classic metal riffs that stick to your ribs. Sometimes they erupt into almost swampy/psychedelic rock territory, that evokes the name Corrosion of Conformity. Many times the sludge comes about, with Iron Monkey and Fudge Tunnel adding heavy influence.  So many different elements to the sound of Gruel. The description of "doom proggists, apparently" could not be more apt.

Gruel has a lot to offer, and is definitely more of a grower, than a shower. It takes time to get to know this one. But, if you are patient, open-minded and, uh, manage to not fall asleep, this is an album fully worth your hard earned cash. The album is available from the always excellent AtWarWithFalseNoise.