Since early and mid-2000s metalcore was one of the first styles of heavy music I got into after the nu-metal explosion in the late 90s, mentioning that a band is trying to recapture this same sound is a great way to grab my attention. That’s exactly what happened with Pittsburgh’s Greywalker, who have been around for about a decade or so but have gone under my radar until this year’s Le Cachot EP. This follows up two full lengths from 2015 and 2018 as well as a live album that came out last year. Greywalker has focused on making their sound as loud and aggressive as possible this time around, and with plenty of shredding guitar work that channels a bit of melodeath alongside metalcore the band does the style justice.
Coming in at four songs that run for just over fifteen minutes, Le Cachot is a quick blast of high-flying riffs and punchier drumming that has just the right amount of weight behind it. Greywalker likes to alternate between mid-tempo sections where they let some additional melody sneak into their heavier foundation and faster all-out shredding assaults, which brings in equal amounts of what metalcore and melodic death metal were doing circa the early to mid-2000s. The band certainly isn’t going to win too many points for originality, but I can appreciate how well they channel the riff after riff approach that made some of the albums from that time period classics without dragging things out. You won’t find much in the way of breakdowns added in solely to pad out the song lengths, and the brevity works to Greywalker’s advantage. Stylistically the faster sections remind me of Unearth, Darkest Hour, and earlier All That Remains with the dip into melodies bringing in some Killswitch Engage and classic In Flames. The four tracks do feel a bit similarly constructed at times, using some of the same tricks to catch your attention, but the consistency works given the shorter format and Le Cachot remains fun to listen to even if it doesn’t quite reach the same heights as some of the band’s inspirations. “Hour of 13” is a definite highlight for me as this is where Greywalker unleashes some of their catchiest guitar work. I also find myself a little torn on the production, which deliberately goes for making every instrument as loud as powerful as possible but makes the instrumentation blur together during some of the most intense passages.
Brian Sikes Howe has the type of pitch that’s perfectly suited for metalcore, as he starts off at a lower growl that moves up into a raspier scream as the songs progress. The raspier sections bring in a bit more melodic death metal, while the lower growls are likely to bring a slew of metalcore and hardcore vocalists depending on which bands you spent the most time with during the peak of these styles. This back and forth between high and low ranges works to Greywalker’s advantage, as it gives the performance a lot more variety and a dynamic feel that is often lacking from a lot of metalcore bands. And if you’re the type that likes this genre when it’s all harsh vocals without any of the clean singing that would find its way in years later, Le Cachot is sure to be appealing.
Greywalker sends listeners back to a time when metalcore and melodic death metal managed to break through the underground, capturing the same powerful sound, catchy melodies, and bursts of all-out shredding that popularized a lot of the better-known artists. Although they have room left to continue to branch out and truly put their own stamp on the genre, the sheer number of riffs still makes this an EP worth your time. If the mention of a lot of those other metalcore bands earlier in the review made your eyes light up with nostalgia, you’re going to want to check this one out. Le Cachot is available from Bad Idea Collective.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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