Review by Saxy S for Grey Skies Fallen - Molded by Broken Hands (2024)
From New York, Grey Skies Fallen have been around for a while and have stayed relatively obsolete in the greater doom metal scene. But seeing a positive review from Sonny gave me confidence that a smaller act could make a dent in my Fallen year-end-list for 2024. So what did we end up getting with Molded by Broken Hands? Well, a lot actually.
Molded by Broken Hands is death doom, epic doom, gothic metal and perhaps a little funeral doom with its compositional techniques. Grey Skies Fallen have a wide soundscape in their music and makes this record oddly progressive in a way. And the album is very well put together all the same. Just listen to those wild tempo/style changes during the bridge of "No Place For Sorrow." Normally I wouldn't be the biggest fan of such wild changes (especially on a doom metal album), but despite the lack of preparation, their incessant nature makes them super endearing.
I won't lie, first impressions of this album were not great with the opener "A Twisted Place in Time" for the reasons that were mentioned previously. But as I already mentioned, Grey Skies Fallen have a way of making these seemingly unrelated phrases work together through songwriting and repetition. And through that songwriting, the album stays engaging up to its final notes. A few of the doom metal albums I've reviewed recently all have the same problem; where the record does not do nearly enough in the soundscapes/compositions and leaves the album staggering to its conclusion. Grey Skies Fallen, fade out ending withstanding, end Molded by Broken Hands with the same level of commitment to the work as they did at the start. "Knowing That You're There" has the same heart and soul as the opener because it hasn't been bogged down by seven similar sounding doom dirges previously.
The production can be a little shaky at times, but it's mostly good. I like how the synthesized strings are not present throughout the entire album and only appear occasionally for additional weight. The bass presence is felt tremendously helping the albums thematic arc. If anything, it's probably the harsh vocals that sound the most out of place. They aren't horrible, but they tend to sound too fry and hushed, while the booming, gothic cleans tower over the instrumental. At least the record has a decent mix of harsh-to-clean vocals so it isn't as upfront of an issue.
The albums ending on a slightly optimistic tone only exemplifies this albums variety and why I enjoy this album as much as I did. Grey Skies Fallen are making high quality doom metal under almost everyone's noses and yet no one bothers to stop and smell the roses.
Best Songs: Molded by Broken Hands, I Can Hear Your Voice, Cracks in Time, Knowing That You're There