A MOMENT OF WEAKNESS

[Originally published at The Progressive Aspect]

I first came across Russian band Grey Mouse in 2020, with the release of the single Better Than Me, from the (then) upcoming album A Moment of Weakness. I admit that I knew nothing about the band, and from wherever I saw the single shared, the thing that grabbed my interest was the cover art as it immediately reminded me of another mouse ? or rather mice ? Mice on Stilts, to be precise. I listened to the song, and (of course) it sounded nothing like Mice on Stilts. Furthermore, when I dipped into their back catalogue, it seemed to sound nothing like anything the band had released previously either. Grey Mouse have been a constantly evolving entity (in terms of their music and personnel) since 1990, or thereabouts, with their leader, Alexey Chunikhin, being the only constant.

The biggest difference between A Moment of Weakness and what I've listened to from their previous releases is the vocals. Apart from being a far more song-based album than previously, the vocals of Mikhail Kudrey couldn't be more different from previous vocalists; and not just because of his gender, but in tone, mood, style - everything! Kudrey has an incredibly expressive voice that couldn't fit the music of this album more perfectly. And the music? Well, yes, that has definitely changed. Stylistically, I guess it still has the progressive psychedelic base that has always been there ? but it really is just a base now. The backbone supporting a complete work that has elements of folk, doom, stoner, country, blues, metal and goth. And though electric instruments are used, the feel throughout is more acoustic. It's sparse and expansive, with space being used as effectively as any instrument in the mix. This means that when the sound becomes fuller or more electric, it has a great deal more impact than it would otherwise.

If Kudrey provides one of the star turns here, the other is certainly Uliana Volkova, whose playing of the cello provides so much of the haunting and melancholic nature of the music. Cello has never sounded so good, nor been so integral, to a rock album. Between Kudrey's vocals soaring over the top, like a more subdued Bruce Dickinson, and Volkova's cello providing dramatic flourishes underneath, the rhythm section are working full-time, and sounding fantastic. They sound as good playing with the flow of the music, or against it. I love the way that sometimes the rhythm section are playing a quite up tempo beat that directly contrasts with the downbeat guitar, vocals and cello. Two drummers play on the album, each with their own style, but neither imposes that style on the music, so that if you're not paying attention, you probably wouldn't notice.

This is the kind of album that I can imagine there may be some readers questioning why it is being reviewed on a progressive website, but to my ears it definitely fits the bill. Too heavy to be called prog folk, and not metal enough to be called prog metal, it has the sensibilities of both, with that constant undercurrent of psychedelia that is reminiscent of The Doors at their most (self) destructive. If push came to shove and I had to compare them to any other band, it would probably be Indukti. Both bands have a sound that is one part melancholy, and one part menace, and play a heavy style of prog folk, bordering on metal. Indukti has the violin, and Grey Mouse has the cello, so this does make it even easier to make the comparison ? but that is certainly not the main reason I am reminded of Indukti. On the other hand, while not ever sounding stuck in the past like some retro bands, Grey Mouse definitely evoke bands of the '70s, such as the aforementioned Doors, as well as Spooky Tooth and Black Sabbath.

None of this seems apparent in the opening track, the instrumental Backwater, which is solely played by band leader Chunikhin on guitar. But as the second track begins with similar guitar stylings, and then the full band, it becomes clear. This is something special. Never explosive, but always incendiary, the music is constantly flickering in intensity, and as hypnotic as staring at the flames of a fire in the darkness. Dark Road reminds me a little of Acoustic Verses era Green Carnation. Better Than Me follows, being the song that introduced me to the band - and it's actually my least favourite song on the album! My favourite part of this song is the change that occurs partway through, and this is a trick the band plays often throughout the album. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking you know how a song is going to go, but Grey Mouse definitely do not stick to conventions, and some of their surprises are delicious!

On The Run begins sounding almost industrial, or like a dark ambient piece, before hitting a Sabbath-like groove. Rat Race, on the other hand, has an introduction that sounds caught somewhere between the jangle of indie pop and the gallop of metal. This constant variation in style is impressive given how the band manages to maintain an overall consistency in sound and mood, and maintains interest in the album throughout its length, where the darkness and melancholy might be otherwise overbearing or overwhelming. A Moment of Weakness doesn't have a moment of weakness for me, and is an album in near constant rotation. No matter what I listen to, I seem to find myself returning to this album. It's deceptively simple sounding, with enough complexity and variation to keep me coming back for more.

It took a long time for Grey Mouse to return with their next album, but in 2021 they released 'A Moment of Weakness' with yet another considerable twist in both line-up and style. Founder and bassist Alex Chunikhin is still there, also now adding guitar, while his brother (I am guessing) drummer Kirill is again in the band but this time he only plays on half of the tracks with Denis Bayukansky providing the rest. Singer Victoria has been replaced by a male vocalist in Mikhail Kudrey while the sitars have both disappeared and how we have cellist Uliana Volkova and no guests at all.

This is the most depressing and downbeat of all their releases, and singer Mikhail is a real find, with clear unaccented vocals which makes one think of the classic, blues-based singers like Jim Morrison, Nick Drake, David Byron etc. There is a great deal of restrained passion and power within his voice, and when he reaches up, he hits the notes and sustains them in a manner which is indicative of someone who has undertaken a great deal of live work and knows exactly what he is capable of. The cello adds a wonderfully gothic and deep feel, and there is far less guitar which allows the band to shine incredibly well on songs like "Better Than Me". Alex is also playing chords on his bass which always adds a different style and timbre to the songs which are thoughtful and polished. Again, there is a great deal of space within the arrangement, and there are times when the music is just drums and bass and the feeling is very much of the late Sixties/early Seventies and one can imagine this being played by The Doors if they were still around today.

Grey Mouse are a band who keep changing and transforming themselves, the result being a series of albums which are all worth investigating, but this is the farthest removed from what they have been doing previously and alongside 'Trip" is my favourite to date. I wonder what they will come up with next?