Strangers by Grey Gallows

"Strangers" is the fourth full-length album by Grey Gallows in which they have found the artistic freedom and the support to fulfill their musical pursuit.

Having experimented with both hardware and software analogue synths, aimed to enrich its style sonically and synthetically, incorporating more electronic elements than in their previous albums.

Κeystone of the album is Konstantin’s baritone voice and the distinctive guitar sound of Dionisis. Moreover, the participation of two of the most important female singers in the broader dark sound of the scene in Greece and abroad, Kriistal Ann (Paradox Obscur) and Irini Tiniakou (Incirrina), has given the group a deeper expressive ability to approach different musical styles and feelings.

Furthermore, the contribution of sound designer Nick "The Mute" Chaldoupis, with whom Grey Gallows have also collaborated on "Garden of lies", in the mixing and production of the album is of high importance, as he works once again as the 3rd member of the group, giving to the band its distinctive sound.

Thus, Grey Gallows have accomplished to create a "palette" of songs from darkwave to minimal synth and cold wave, always having at the core of their influences the sound of the 80s-90s with a modern approach.

Lyrically, the album deals with both experiential and fantastic narratives about the human psyche, love, pain, alienation and the redemption of the individual, concerning with social issues that plague the modern era.
And as Grey Gallows themselves say…

’’ …I'm calling out your name again
Come and take my pain…’’

KOLLEKTIVA:
"I told you, didn't I? I told you guys a few weeks ago that it's going to be great. But it is not simply great. 'Strangers' by Grey Gallows band is an awesome, an amazing album. I am happy and honoured that we are not complete strangers (we met at the best festival of the last year: Cold Transmission Festival 2022 in Cologne).
This is the 4th album of the band, and it is like ancient Greek mythology... Did you know hat those myths were initially propagated by singers? They sung about heroes of wars. Our singers, Konstantin, Kriistal Ann and Irini Tiniakou are singing about us, our wars with our strange and sometimes crazy world. They do it with a lot of empathy of someone who has gone through a lot of it.
The album shows why are albums still important in our streaming era, when you can shuffle or pick songs in a random order, on demand as they say. This album was created with care, it builds up a tense with the first 2 songs, 'Strangers' and 'Cage' to relieve us with wonderful voice of Kriistal Ann (Paradox Obscur) 'Spirits' helps us to get free of those cages and dance, even if it has a sad story. But you can't do it right away, you have to listen and think about the story first, create your own interpretation and then, after 2:19 you are free and can dance your pain away.
Then it goes back into the depths with one of the darkwave masterpieces of the year, "Dying Light". This question "Is the end so near?" and how Konstantin asks it is the absolute highlight of the song for me. You may have an answer in your heads.... but there is hope, for that we have to be insane and strong at the same time, but we will find a solution.
'Lies' is ice cold and reminds me a little of the wonderful album 'Seventeen Seconds'. This is followed by 'Deafland' with its haunting guitar and synthesiser melodies to lead us to the conclusion of the second chapter: 'Bare Inside' with Irini Tiniakou (Incirrina) And what a conclusion... omg, I think the chorus says it all, there is "no hope" for anyone else this year to write and sing something darker, something better. They can try, but "this struggle is in vain”.
We then return to the dark world of Grey Gallows. 'The night in me' with its weeping guitars and 'Chains' with the most apt and wonderful description of our corporate life:
"All hail the new beginning
The dawn of new born men
All fail to see the meaning
The fate of modern slave”
And then comes "In Eternity"... I have to admit, until I heard this song for the first time, "Dying Light" was my favourite, but that changed after about 20 seconds. The way Dionisis plays his guitar is something you can't really describe with words, it touches something very deep in your soul.
The end of the album, the last song, is something special. There are not many bands I know that sing in Latin. Helium Vola, Ernst Horn's band, do that and I always thought that Latin is the best language for Gothic and Darkwave. I also thought there was no one in the world who could sing it like Sabine Lutzenberger, but now I'm sure there is someone: Konstantin. He is supported by magnificent female vocals in the background that make it sound like an old, ancient hymn. A great closing song, a great end to our journey together with Grey Gallows".
Ευχαριστώ πολύ Grey Gallows! 🖤
Vielen Dank Cold Transmission! 🖤

Grey Gallows is a dark wave group based in Patra (Greece).
Their influences can be found in the broadest spectrum of 80s dark music.
Thus, their lyrics deal with issues from inner struggle to the healing through dark emotions.

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