Album Review: Grey Sky Above A Grey City by Raid Over Moscow
Raid Over Moscow’s Grey Sky Above A Grey City isn’t your typical electronic album. Released in 2009, this Italian gem dives headfirst into the murkier corners of drone and noise, creating an atmosphere that feels both suffocating and strangely cathartic. Self-released under their own label (because who needs gatekeepers anyway?), the duo crafts a soundscape that mirrors its title—cold, industrial, and hauntingly desolate.
The opening track, "Why Noise Sucks In '09," sets the tone with a wall of distorted sound that feels like being trapped inside a malfunctioning factory. At first listen, it’s abrasive, almost confrontational—but stick with it. About two minutes in, there's this subtle shift where layers begin to emerge, and you realize it’s not just chaos for chaos' sake. It’s more like organized disarray, if that makes sense. The way they manipulate feedback and static into something vaguely rhythmic is impressive, even though—or maybe because—it doesn’t try to be “pleasant.” You won’t hum this one on your morning commute, but it sticks with you long after the last buzz fades out.
Then there’s "Loom," which might as well be the emotional core of the record. This track takes a slightly different approach, leaning heavier into ambient textures. There’s a slow-building tension here, like waiting for rain during an endless gray afternoon. Around the 4:32 mark (funny how that matches the runtime), everything crescendos into this overwhelming wave of sound that hits you right in the chest. It’s not exactly pleasant, but it’s powerful—like staring at a storm rolling in and feeling small yet oddly alive.
What stands out about Grey Sky Above A Grey City is how unapologetically raw it feels. Raid Over Moscow doesn’t care about making music that’s easy to digest. Instead, they challenge listeners to sit with discomfort and find beauty in the bleakness. Tracks like "Why Noise Sucks In '09" and "Loom" aren’t meant to entertain; they’re meant to provoke thought, evoke emotion, or maybe just make you question why you hit play in the first place.
If I had to sum it up? Listening to this album feels like wandering through an abandoned city late at night—lonely, eerie, and kinda mesmerizing all at once. And honestly, isn’t that what great art should do? Make you feel stuff you didn’t know you needed to feel.
Oh, and fun fact: turns out Raid Over Moscow shares their name with an old video game from the '80s about nuclear war. Weird flex, but okay. Somehow, it fits perfectly.
