Oreyeon are an Italian stoner rock band and this is their fourth album.
I enjoyed 2022’s Equations for the Useless, so wanted to check in with Oreyeon once more to see what this stoner rock crew were up to. The Grotesque Within is what. It’s a record bursting with stoner rock flavour, spiced up with grunge, doom, and progressive rock seasoning.
The promo blurb tells us that this is a “…darker, surreal, and more expansive new chapter.”, which sets the scene nicely. Clocking in at a lean 36 minutes, The Grotesque Within brings together its various influences into a right bundle of groovy riffs, engaging vocals, and earthy character. It becomes apparent quickly that this is indeed darker than its predecessor, but it achieves this without sacrificing the core of Oreyeon’s sound.
The songs contain exactly what you’d want from a bleaker example of the style, while retaining a hard rocking base – meaty riffs, sterling melodies, and vocals that boast emotive personality. The music carries itself well, delivering a satisfying collection of feeling-rich heavy rock songs, while keeping an ear out for a killer riff and an infectious vocal. The Grotesque Within is packed with hooks, (opener Echoes of Old Nightmares starts as the album means to go on in this regard), and the songwriting is consistently strong.
Each track stands on its own merits, and the album moves well from one to the next. All six of the songs contain their own highlights and strengths. Different songs bring different aspects of the music into greater or lesser focus too, depending on what the band want to portray. Nothing but Impurities – Part 2 ramps up the Alice in Chains influence, for example, whereas I’m Your Mistake unleashes the band’s penchant for doom metal. There’s a plethora of engaging detailing and ideas on display, such as the progressive wanderings in the middle of the title track, or the reality-distorting bass at the start of Something over There. One of my favourites from the record is Nothing but Impurities – Part 1, which delivers an increased amount of tension to the rapt listener, and it really hits the spot. My second favourite might very well be the album’s closer, Dead Puppet Eyes, as it offers up a hulking doom track with progressive and grunge elements. Top stuff.
The Grotesque Within feels like a step up for Oreyeon. Hell, it is a step up. I wasn’t expecting this to be as good as it is, I confess. Oreyeon have crafted a very enjoyable slab of doomy rock music, and it’s very much worth spending some quality time with.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 