Image Source: “TAPE 007 - back to normal”
Rob Gavan’s “Greylock” is an analog horror series hosted on the YouTube channel GREYLOCK. Currently, the channel contains 11 episodes, also known as tapes, each filled with ghastly experiences that send shivers down viewers’ spines. “Greylock” occurs mainly in the 20th century and details the paranormal events in and around Mount Greylock in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
The “Greylock” series follows the classic analog horror formula of found footage-type content with cryptic messages and disturbing imagery littered throughout each episode but strays away from the normal-turn-horror trope of this genre and instead lays out the horrors for all to see, not bothering to cover it up with any normalities. While many anomalies occur at Mt. Greylock—such as people disappearing, the discovery of ancient artifacts and ruins hidden deep within the underground tunnels of the mountains, and a masked cult-like organization—the primary threat of the series, remains unknown.
Despite the series’ numerical labels, there isn’t a clear and chronological order to each tape. Each tape has holes in the narrative that are only explained in other episodes, but because of the series’ incomplete nature, many questions are left unanswered. “Greylock” doesn’t have a main character or any recurring characters at all; it tells the story of the Mount Greylock area itself, which allows the series to utilize a non-chronological narrative without feeling disconnected or out of place.
While storytelling matters in anything that wants to tell a story, in video media, the visuals matter as much as the plot itself. A narrative with a great plot can often be overlooked if the visuals are underwhelming, but “Greylock” does not suffer from this issue, as its visuals are incredibly realistic, disgusting, and unnerving, creating a work that can easily distress anyone faint of heart.
Overall, while “Greylock” is a seemingly ordinary analog horror series, among the genre, it lies at the top, and for good reason. The utilization of high-quality, nauseating visuals that border the lines of demonetization and an unusual but effective narrative allows “Greylock” to stand a step above its peers, setting a new standard for analog horror.
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