Having only just been introduced to the wonder and at times awe inspiring music of the outfit known as Grails, I may be privy to not having my opinions of their records tainted yet by the "their first or early records were better" attitude. Thankfully so because their fifth album, Doomsdayer's Holiday, might just be the band's best record to date. Picking up where Take Refuge in Clean Living (Grails' full-length that was released earlier this year) left off, Doomsdayer's Holiday further expands on the eastern sounds of its predecessor while somehow pushing into darker territories the mood of the record.
The barely human howling amidst the galloping of hooves and some truly wicked sounding percussion which opens Doomsdayer's Holiday (through its title-track) conveys some of the creepiest sounds one could expect to hear on record. The bass guitar ties all the instrumentation together while the guitars just wail away. "Reincarnation Blues" continues the "eastern" sounding motifs one can find on Grails last album while somehow incorporating said motif into a fuzzed out jam that continually reinvents itself as it moves through its brief tenure. The slow plinking of a piano and ambient noise which co-inhabits the aural space of "The Natural Man" is an excellent accompaniment to the clean guitars and sparse wood wind instrumentation; the inhuman wailing from "Doomsdayer's Holiday" rears its head again in spots as well. "Predestination Blues" is thick and swarthy with sound; layers upon layers of new and interesting noises crop up as the song progresses into its eventual sonic maelstrom, which still maintains a very listenable quality without being overbearing to the listener. The album closer, "Acid Reign," is an excellent closer to the album due to its pacing being so spot on from the beginning; somehow the song conjures nostalgic feelings while still longingly looking forward at the same time.
Grails again fashion quite the wordless narrative during Doomsdayer's Holiday; it is an impressive and seamless collection of songs. All seven tracks, which comprise the album all, have their own unique personality and style while still being a cohesive body of work. The record seems concise and is just the right length for paying close attention so that one can truly reap the benefits of the subtle nuances that pervade the whole piece. If Doomsdayer's Holiday is not the best Grails record, then it is easily my favorite thus far.
