Listen to Greys’ Powerful Reaction to the Fallout of the Paris Bataclan Attacks in “No Star”

Photo by Ebru Yildiz

Some of the best punk rock hinges on how well a group of musicians can transform a reaction into music.One band that’s found how to create concise, poignant tracks without sacrificing quality is Greys. The Toronto band is set to release their upcoming record, Outer Heaven on Carpark and Buzz Records on April 22. Ahead of the release, the band is premiering their new track, “No Star” which completely sets the tone for what’s at stake sonically and emotionally in the record. “No Star” was written in response to the recent Bataclan shootings and its later affect on people’s perceptions of minorities. The song bathes in anticipation and build up. You can hear in vocalist Shehzaad Jiwani’s singing a kind of pure emotion. His voice matches the song in intensity, rising and growing more forceful as the track continues, before eliciting a loud-as-hell charge, blending melody with an awesome sense of noise.

Of the song, Jiwani states:

“The song was written in the wake of not only the shootings in Paris at Bataclan on November 13th 2015, but also the reactions it elicited in people. On one side, you had people burning down mosques and acting violently towards anyone who looked remotely Muslim. On the other, you had people speaking on behalf of the victims and effectively telling them how they should feel about such atrocities. It’s a song about not knowing where you fit in as a person of colour who was raised in a predominantly white community, not identifying completely with either side. It’s about not having a voice, but moreover not knowing where or when or how to speak regardless. It’s about wanting someone to understand and relate to you, but most importantly, letting you speak for yourself.”

Listen to the song below, and watch out for Outer Heaven when it’s out April 22 physically and digitally. You can catch the band on tour below:

03/05 Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium #
03/11 Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s $
03/12 Dekalb, IL @ The House Cafe $
03/13 Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall $
03/16-19 Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/21 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Music Park $
03/22 Charlotte, NC @ Milestone Club $
03/23 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter $
04/08 London, ON @ Call The Office %
04/09 Hamilton, ON @ Casbah %
04/21 Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz %
04/22 Allston, MA @ O’Brien’s
04/23 Philadelphia, PA @ First United Church
04/24 Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong ^
04/27 Detroit, MI @ PJ’s Lager House
04/28 Kalamazoo, MI @ Millhouse
04/29 Chicago, IL @ Mousetrap

# – w/ Big Ups

$ – w/ The Dirty Nil

% – w/ Odonis Odonis

^ – w/ Two Inch Astronaut