"Phantom Knocks" is the third full-length album from the German sludge/stoner metal act GRIN. This release is of the more mellow style of stoner metal in the same vein as WEEDPECKER. It lies on the opposite end of the spectrum from HOODED MENACE.

The first track, "Transcendence," starts with some impressive drum work from Jan Oberg. This one reminded me of a less heavy INTRONAUT, with its airy vocals and plenty of fuzz. "Phantom Knocks" has a "wall of sound" production style with plenty of reverb. While all of the elements of a great stoner metal song are present, "Transcendence" fell flat. It's just a bit too generic to make a lasting impact.

"Aporia," cranks the wall of sound up to eleven. This time, the vocals have more of a raspy, growling character. Jan Oberg's commanding delivery is a high point as well. The guitars also have more of a presence than they do in "Transcendence." I wasn't a fan of the mellow breakdown, but the song as a whole is still worth a listen.

"Rivulets" is the most psychedelic track on the album. The fuzzy guitar riffing adds a lot to the song. The vocals are clean and dreamy, with plenty of reverb. Also, Sabine Oberg's bass work drives the song forward and is a welcome presence amidst the wall of fuzz provided by Jan Oberg. This track is one of the better ones on "Phantom Knocks."

The drums on "Servants" are front and center, making for a compelling introduction. The vocals are somewhere in between the  completely clean style of "Transcendence" and the growls on "Aporia." There is a bit too much reverb on the vocals for my tastes, but that doesn't spoil the song. "Servants" drags in the middle and is about a minute too long. The positive and negative elements cancel each other out, and the song again falls flat.

The album's final track, "Spectral," takes an interesting approach. The first half is completely instrumental. The vocals come in after a minute and a half and are only present for about that long. It makes the song feel more than a little disjointed. It also ends with entirely too much reverb on everything.

Unfortunately, "Phantom Knocks" is unremarkable at best. It felt like there was a negative for every positive present on the album. GRIN plays a competent brand of sludge with plenty of psychedelia. I would recommend it to only the diehard stoner metal fans who have heard just about everything else, though.