Last year, Dim Gray played 15 shows across nine countries in the UK and Europe.
MV was two of the shows. The first was the opening night of the Marillion Weekend in Leicester in the spring, and the second was when they opened for Big Big Train in the autumn (Oskar Holldorff, who plays keys and sings for Dim Gray, is a member of Big Big Train).
That night, I wrote: “But this is Dim Gray’s world, and we’re lucky to live in it for 40 minutes.”
They recorded every show and have compiled some of the best moments into these six tracks.
The first two tracks, “Abalus | In Time” and “The Wave We Thought We’d Ride Forever,” exemplify what makes Dim Gray so great.
Their music is progressive, but not in the traditional sense. It’s lush yet understated, confident yet vulnerable, sparse yet grandiose, all topped off by Holldorff’s impressive vocal range. They are truly something special.
“Ashes” is so fragile that it feels like it could shatter in your hands at the slightest touch, before opening up in the chorus.
“52” is built around the piano, which provides the foundation for the rest of the song. The band is excellent throughout, but they are perhaps at their best on “Murals,” recorded in Germany. This haunting track has never appeared on an album, only as a single earlier in the year, which speaks to the creative energy that seems to be burning within the band.
Both of the shows that I saw ended with “Black Swan,” and so does this album. This is one of the two live songs that had not been previewed, and it is a highlight of the album. The way it builds and falls demonstrates the band’s understanding of dynamics, and Håkon Høiberg shines on guitar.
Dim Gray is a band that, contrary to their name, the colours shine They are a superb live band, and “Live In Europe 2023” captures it energy perfectly.
Rating: 9/10
