Grails - Doomsdayer's Holiday (2008)

Grails - Doomsdayer's Holiday (2008)

I have to admit that when I'm looking for new music to listen to, skimming through reviews and band descriptions, there are a few key words that almost always pique my interest: "psychedelic", "doom", "bluesy", "g-funk", comparisons to bands I already like, etc etc. Though these words ultimately matter little when I'm actually listening, they do play a not so small role in determining what I listen to first. For Doomsdayer's Holiday, the keywords were "eastern instruments", which suddenly took a band that I had a passing interest in and rocketed them near the top of my "Album's I Must Check Out" list. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a sitar.

The album begins with the doomy title track, followed by "Reincarnation Blues", which begins to make use of the aforementioned eastern instruments, though my knowledge isn't deep enough to place which one (I want to say a guzheng). Despite sounding different, the two songs are very similar in a way. How can I best describe this? ...You know that feeling of excitement you get when you start some sort of creative project and you're all gung-ho about it until midway through it's completion and then the frustrations begin mounting, at which point you muddle through the rest of the way, perhaps out of obligation or sheer stubbornness? The first two tracks are the auditory equivalent of that. Roaring out of the starting gate only to limp across the finish line like a poorly trained runner who got too excited and forgot to pace himself.

The last five tracks remedy this bad habit immediately. Grails abandon the heavy rock approach to slow things down to an almost meditative pace, starting with the "The Natural Man", an airy acoustic track that even throws in some flute action with fantastic results. More songs need flutes, "The Natural Man" led me to determine. After the brooding "Immediate Mate", "Predestination Blues" gives the band another opportunity to rock out, which again brings a middle eastern sound for a Lawrence of Arabia-esque hard rock cover band feel. By this time, the band has learned to pace the track better, as the song climaxes at the right time.

By the album's conclusion, I learn that there is no sitar, and a great wave of sadness sets over me. I give myself a moment to weep and sort through my thoughts, and ultimately decide that the album is still pretty good without it. The short overall playtime may be a deterrent for some, but Doomsdayer's Holiday packs enough good music to warrant repeated listens.



Score: 7.5/10


"The Natural Man"


"X-Contaminations"