Album Review: Eshtadur – Mother Gray (Bleeding Music)

Columbia is producing some serious heavy-weight metal bands recently & Eshtadur are the latest to come along that blend a furious metal sound with memorable melody. The new album, Mother Gray will be released on August 8th 2017 via Bleeding Music.

Let’s get this clear right off the bat. Mother Gray is a fantastic album. An album filled with thumping hooks, mind-bending riffs & aggressive vocals. It makes its intent clear from the moment Belong to Nowhere kicks in with its rhythmic drum beat. Utterly mesmerising in its ferocity but its inclusion of subtle melody is what really busts it open.

One of the best opening songs of the year.

Whereas the first track was all about the drumming, Plaguemaker let’s the riffs do the talking. Still incredibly up-tempo, the focus on guitar riffing & soloing really makes a difference in the style of sound.

Within two songs it’s clear that Eshtadur have poured their all into this. It sounds like it must have been an intense recording & the band would have been drained after each song.

As things go on, Eshtadur continue to sprinkle even more imagination into the album. The orchestral moments in the crushing, Cornered at the Earth. The haunting piano melody at the start of the momentously huge sounding Desolation & the hook-laden, March of the Fallen, a contender for the best song on the album.

Mother Gray is melodic death metal filled with style, intensity & inventiveness. The album is only 7 tracks long but does come with a few bonus songs. Heavens to the Ground is a bruising listen with some exciting guitar squeals & a disjointed drum beat while Last Day of the Condor just underlines the quality found throughout Mother Gray.

It comes as quite a surprise to see the album end with a rip-roaring version of Burning Heart by Survivor. A song made famous by appearing in the Rocky IV movie (when Rocky lands in Russia). Eshtadur absolutely kill it on this cover. It’s fun, keeping the basic tune of the original but adding layers of metal throughout to make it their own. It’s a final moment that will put a smile on your face (especially if you’re a Rocky fan).

Mother Gray is an excellent listen. Thumping, beat-driven & inspiring melodic death metal. There are very faults, with the drumming being particularly out of this world!

Eshtadur – Mother Gray Full Track Listing:

1. Belong to Nowhere
2. Plaguemaker
3. Cornered at the Earth
4. Desolation
5. Time Hole to Paris
6. March of the Fallen
7. The Day After I Die
8. Heavens to the Ground (Bonus Track)
9. Last Day of the Condor (Bonus Track)
10. Burning Heart (Survivor Cover – Bonus Track)

You can listen to Cornered at the Earth now over on Bandcamp where you’ll be able to pick up the album too. Check out Eshtadur over on Facebook, ReverbNation & YouTube.