Grenouer - Lifelong Days
When we featured Grenouer a while back, the guys were decent enough to send me through a copy of their other album, Lifelong Days, from 2008. As such, I figured I’d check out what they had on offer to see where they’d come from and how things were getting on!
Opening with Indecent Loyalty there’s an immediate reminder of the sound from these guys, opening heavy with a firm sense of older style metal running through things, keeping the track sounding fresh and new as well as classic in its own right. The heavy riff that really gets things going is the real shock, launching you into things at a rate of knots and ensuring that you’re firmly on board for the ride which the band are offering you. Spitting the words out at you, the music sounds almost like a less refined version of Korn, keeping things heavy whilst still packing enough melody to keep you listening and wanting to hear more. Addicted To You keeps this going, once again launching you into a riff fuelled melee of hammering drums and lead snippets. This is music which is going to absolutely kill on the live scene, packing the punch which live crowds crave with enough melody to get new fans interested in what’s going on.
Taken Off The List is another example of how well these guys work as an over all unit, crafting a track which is going to demolish venues at the mere mention of it. Powerful and fuelled by an almighty riff from the off, this is the sort of track you crave on the live front, the sort of thing which is going to get pits going everywhere and pull everyone in. Continuing through With No Concern, Away From Now and Finding The One, this is a theme which continues, firmly basing their tracks on the sort of thing which people want to see on the live scene and making sure you’re left with no doubt as to who’s in charge of the stage. Off The Back Of Others is a moment which stands out as a serious achievement, crafting a track which is powerful and somehow syncopated with becoming disjointed, keeping the track progressing at a rate which will get pits going but making sure there’s enough accessibility to get everyone involved.
The slowed down approach of The Unexpected is another moment which stands out as a hell of an achievement for the band, crafting a track which is going to once again secure these guys a slot as a band you need to make sure you check out on the live scene. Fast and powerful eventually as it builds, this is the track which I’d count as one of my personal favourites from the album, but with an album of this calibre it’s hard to pick just one! Employed Beggar and Reactive both continue the album without much change to the style, but it’s the final moments of Patience which demonstrate how the band progressed onwards from here. Crafting a final track full to the brim with hooks and moments which stand these guys apart from a lot of those on the scene, this final hurrah will leave you wanting to know more. Not following convention and instead, carving their own path into the track, this is another example of why you need to see these guys – it’s a moment of sheer genius!
I liked Grenouer when I first heard them, and hearing this it’s easy to see where they’ve come from and how their sound has developed over time. Sounding like a lot of the nu-metal style bands of the early 2000’s, this is an album which stands out as a chapter in time, one which shows off the skills of a band and makes you realise why you listen to music. Personally, I think this is a damned fine album, let’s just hope more people get on board and we get them over here!
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Indecent Loyalty there’s an immediate reminder of the sound from these guys, opening heavy with a firm sense of older style metal running through things, keeping the track sounding fresh and new as well as classic in its own right. The heavy riff that really gets things going is the real shock, launching you into things at a rate of knots and ensuring that you’re firmly on board for the ride which the band are offering you. Spitting the words out at you, the music sounds almost like a less refined version of Korn, keeping things heavy whilst still packing enough melody to keep you listening and wanting to hear more. Addicted To You keeps this going, once again launching you into a riff fuelled melee of hammering drums and lead snippets. This is music which is going to absolutely kill on the live scene, packing the punch which live crowds crave with enough melody to get new fans interested in what’s going on.
Taken Off The List is another example of how well these guys work as an over all unit, crafting a track which is going to demolish venues at the mere mention of it. Powerful and fuelled by an almighty riff from the off, this is the sort of track you crave on the live front, the sort of thing which is going to get pits going everywhere and pull everyone in. Continuing through With No Concern, Away From Now and Finding The One, this is a theme which continues, firmly basing their tracks on the sort of thing which people want to see on the live scene and making sure you’re left with no doubt as to who’s in charge of the stage. Off The Back Of Others is a moment which stands out as a serious achievement, crafting a track which is powerful and somehow syncopated with becoming disjointed, keeping the track progressing at a rate which will get pits going but making sure there’s enough accessibility to get everyone involved.
The slowed down approach of The Unexpected is another moment which stands out as a hell of an achievement for the band, crafting a track which is going to once again secure these guys a slot as a band you need to make sure you check out on the live scene. Fast and powerful eventually as it builds, this is the track which I’d count as one of my personal favourites from the album, but with an album of this calibre it’s hard to pick just one! Employed Beggar and Reactive both continue the album without much change to the style, but it’s the final moments of Patience which demonstrate how the band progressed onwards from here. Crafting a final track full to the brim with hooks and moments which stand these guys apart from a lot of those on the scene, this final hurrah will leave you wanting to know more. Not following convention and instead, carving their own path into the track, this is another example of why you need to see these guys – it’s a moment of sheer genius!
I liked Grenouer when I first heard them, and hearing this it’s easy to see where they’ve come from and how their sound has developed over time. Sounding like a lot of the nu-metal style bands of the early 2000’s, this is an album which stands out as a chapter in time, one which shows off the skills of a band and makes you realise why you listen to music. Personally, I think this is a damned fine album, let’s just hope more people get on board and we get them over here!
Words: Dave Nicholls
Grenouer
We’ve never featured a band from Russia before, so when St Petersberg based Grenouer got in touch about their new album, Computer Crime. Unbelievably, this is the bands 7th album, and having already received critical acclaim for some of their earlier stuff, this appears to be a band which we should be keeping an eye out for. Describing their sound as rock/metal, and taking influence from pretty much all of the key players in the scene, Grenouer seem set on breaking out from behind the iron curtain and smashing your house down with their sound.
Last Stop opens the album and I’ll be completely honest, does it damned well. Opening with a dark and sludgy sound akin to some earlier Deftones stuff, combined with a melodic vocal line which elevates the track to a different place, a more serene and calm place. The contrasts running through this track immediately make this something which you want to listen to, you want to know what’s going to come next and how the album is going to progress – whether it’s through the catchy hooks or the heavy foundations which are hinted at. Second track, Rejected, still doesn’t give away all of the bands secrets, this time opening with a faster rough riff, getting things moving and throwing you into a track which you can’t help but nod along to. Trying to draw comparison here is tricky, with different elements coming in from different places, all of which form a sound which works as a heavy track, but also has that soft edge which could potentially make this a more commercial enterprise. Coming to a close, I felt myself questioning the style which the band have gone for, it’s like a trip down memory lane that has been remastered, sounding like it’s from a day in the past yet still somehow sounding fresh and new.
See No Sun marks a dramatic change in the direction of the album, this time opening with a feel of the 90’s to the music, some synth strings leading in over a soft guitar line before the vocals are ushered in. Much more ballad like throughout, this track is almost the slow and calm moment of the album, throwing in some Petrucci style guitar sounds and keeping everything chilled (initially) so as not to over burden the listener. After the all out power of the previous tracks, this one comes as a bit of a shock, yet there’s still something intriguing about the music – the answer to this intrigue revealed closer to the end with a Fear Factory style moment of all out distortion. Fix Your Life is a serious highpoint on the album (check the video below), once again launching you into a bass heavy track full of distorted riffs, soft vocals and hammering drums. The mix seems even more powerful after the previous slower track, this time hammering their message home and making sure you’re listening to what they’ve got to say. Personally, this is my favourite track off of the album, there’s just something catchy yet powerful about it which I really enjoyed.
Closing with Golden Years, there’s once again a change in direction from the Russian band, this time throwing in some acoustic guitar lines over some electronic effects to get things moving. The vocals are once again soft and soothing initially, opening into a track which is going to allow you a moment to sit back, reflect and simply enjoy. As an album closer it does leave a bit of a confused feeling to proceedings, but at the same time it goes to demonstrate what these guys are capable when they set their minds to it.
I don’t really know what I was expecting from a band from Russia as it doesn’t tend to be a place that a lot of music comes out of. What’s on show here from Grenouer though is that rock is alive and well over there, and if it’s these guys who are at the forefront of the movement then they’re in safe hands. Sure, there’s moments which sound a little outdated in comparison to a lot of the newer stuff we’re getting from the US and UK, but that’s part of the appeal. What these guys do is take you to a place where rock is real, rock is performed by bands who are passionate about it and craft songs which they love and want to play. For me, that’s the whole point behind music, so I hope to hear a lot more from these guys in the future!
To find out more about Grenouer, check out their Facebook page HERE and their video below.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Last Stop opens the album and I’ll be completely honest, does it damned well. Opening with a dark and sludgy sound akin to some earlier Deftones stuff, combined with a melodic vocal line which elevates the track to a different place, a more serene and calm place. The contrasts running through this track immediately make this something which you want to listen to, you want to know what’s going to come next and how the album is going to progress – whether it’s through the catchy hooks or the heavy foundations which are hinted at. Second track, Rejected, still doesn’t give away all of the bands secrets, this time opening with a faster rough riff, getting things moving and throwing you into a track which you can’t help but nod along to. Trying to draw comparison here is tricky, with different elements coming in from different places, all of which form a sound which works as a heavy track, but also has that soft edge which could potentially make this a more commercial enterprise. Coming to a close, I felt myself questioning the style which the band have gone for, it’s like a trip down memory lane that has been remastered, sounding like it’s from a day in the past yet still somehow sounding fresh and new.
See No Sun marks a dramatic change in the direction of the album, this time opening with a feel of the 90’s to the music, some synth strings leading in over a soft guitar line before the vocals are ushered in. Much more ballad like throughout, this track is almost the slow and calm moment of the album, throwing in some Petrucci style guitar sounds and keeping everything chilled (initially) so as not to over burden the listener. After the all out power of the previous tracks, this one comes as a bit of a shock, yet there’s still something intriguing about the music – the answer to this intrigue revealed closer to the end with a Fear Factory style moment of all out distortion. Fix Your Life is a serious highpoint on the album (check the video below), once again launching you into a bass heavy track full of distorted riffs, soft vocals and hammering drums. The mix seems even more powerful after the previous slower track, this time hammering their message home and making sure you’re listening to what they’ve got to say. Personally, this is my favourite track off of the album, there’s just something catchy yet powerful about it which I really enjoyed.
Closing with Golden Years, there’s once again a change in direction from the Russian band, this time throwing in some acoustic guitar lines over some electronic effects to get things moving. The vocals are once again soft and soothing initially, opening into a track which is going to allow you a moment to sit back, reflect and simply enjoy. As an album closer it does leave a bit of a confused feeling to proceedings, but at the same time it goes to demonstrate what these guys are capable when they set their minds to it.
I don’t really know what I was expecting from a band from Russia as it doesn’t tend to be a place that a lot of music comes out of. What’s on show here from Grenouer though is that rock is alive and well over there, and if it’s these guys who are at the forefront of the movement then they’re in safe hands. Sure, there’s moments which sound a little outdated in comparison to a lot of the newer stuff we’re getting from the US and UK, but that’s part of the appeal. What these guys do is take you to a place where rock is real, rock is performed by bands who are passionate about it and craft songs which they love and want to play. For me, that’s the whole point behind music, so I hope to hear a lot more from these guys in the future!
To find out more about Grenouer, check out their Facebook page HERE and their video below.
Words: Dave Nicholls