Artist: Good Day To Die (GD2D)
Label: Dallas Records
Release: 2008
We finally get a chance to hear an album that isn’t meant to be background noise, but one you have to sit down with and give real time to, because of the musical composition packed into the record called “Hazing Through Shadows”. The new album is the creation of our neighbors Good Day To Die, who skillfully swap and blend the influences of stoner rock and alternative metal. There’s a ton of elements woven together here, from blues to doom metal, all melting into an extremely melancholic masterpiece that conjures a rain cloud over your head, even on a beautiful day.
The album has nine tracks, some heavier than others, which carry us through the atmosphere they conjure, from the desert all the way to an urban wartime and postwar landscape. The latter is especially evoked by a recorded speech by Franjo Tuđman in the last song, The Path of the Cross.
Most of the songs start off at a slow tempo, begin building somewhere around the middle, and only rarely come alive beyond classic stoner speed. The standout on the album is vocalist Yvon, who changes his voice and singing style from song to song. You’ll hear everything from the clean vocals typical of desert rock to somewhat more melancholically angry parts reminiscent of stoner or doom metal, and all of it is wrapped in a charming, raspy voice. Right behind the vocals, the rhythm section leaves a mark on your ears, and for once it’s really tight and precise, since the bass lines are very prominent and cut through despite the frequent use of the double bass pedal on the drums. The guitars stand out from the average too, tuned a bit lower, but they fit perfectly into the album’s slow melodic flow and are surely the biggest contributor to the heavy atmosphere the album delivers.
The production deserves praise as well, since its quality tops most similar albums, which usually don’t offer such good sound. The main producer of the album was Steve Austin of the American experimental metal band Today is the day, who left a big mark on the album.
All in all, the album is an excellent mix of blues, desert and stoner rock, and metal, and it doesn’t lack some alternative touches of indie music either. That makes the album very diverse and listenable, because every song differs from the next. You can hear plenty of influences from world-famous and lesser-known bands, but the album doesn’t come across as a rip-off. It sounds very fresh and, at times, fairly innovative.
The record will probably thrill and appeal to a wide audience, since it offers a little something for anyone who enjoys a bit of dirtier music, while also satisfying the taste of the well-heeled few who’ve specialized in reveling in the darkness that doom and stoner music have to offer.
Lineup
Stjepan Kolobarić (Steps) – drums
Dalibor Farčić (Dale) – guitar
Yvan – vocals
S.G – bass guitar
Production
Steve Austin
Tracklist
1.Crush The Skies (4:15)
2.Stepping’s Bavkyard (4:44)
3.Nicky Bumz vs. Leather Pants (5:17)
4.Rehab Doll (3:54)
5.Possessed By Poe (5:01)
6.The Oldest New (6:00)
7.Deep Water Eyes (7:50)
8.Workinh Man’s Sunday 7 (3:41)
9.The Path Of The Cross (5:39)
Album length 46:24
