Is it rock or is it metal?
With the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has become a bigger and bigger part of the international music scene. In heavy metal, Russia has fathered several prominent slamming brutal death metal bands like Abominable Putridity, Katalepsy and Abnormity, but the band in question - Grenouer - doesn't quite fall under that classification.
Grenouer, having formed back in 1992 as a death/thrash metal band, followed the dissolution of the USSR and has its roots in both hard rock and metal, perhaps taking inspiration from their hugely popular countrymen in Gorky Park. However unlike Gorky Park, Grenouer - in spite of the formidable size of their catalogue of releases - has never gained any substantial foothold on the global rock or metal scene.
Grenouer, having formed back in 1992 as a death/thrash metal band, followed the dissolution of the USSR and has its roots in both hard rock and metal, perhaps taking inspiration from their hugely popular countrymen in Gorky Park. However unlike Gorky Park, Grenouer - in spite of the formidable size of their catalogue of releases - has never gained any substantial foothold on the global rock or metal scene.
"The technical capabilites of the musicians certainly stands up to criticism,"
The Russian band isn't wholeheartedly modern or traditional, resorting instead to combine the two in a seamless mix of old school heaviness and modern melodies. While the group has their feet firmly planted in the black soil of heavy metal, they also lean heavily toward the sound of the late 90s through heaving gushes of chugging guitar work. The technical capabilites of the musicians certainly stands up to criticism, but overall the Computer Crime EP tends to be a bit formulaic and as such doesn't hold up after repeated listenings.
Though songs like Fix Your Life are quite enjoyable, the general feel of the five songs on the EP gravitate toward using sudden melodic intermissions as breaks whenever things are about to get rough. As Grenouer aren't truly one or the other when it comes to the "rock or metal" question, they end up being almost literally caught between a rock and a hard place. They vary between being too heavy, or not heavy enough. Their music, though well-written, suffers from having a very specific audience: The people in the middle.
Though songs like Fix Your Life are quite enjoyable, the general feel of the five songs on the EP gravitate toward using sudden melodic intermissions as breaks whenever things are about to get rough. As Grenouer aren't truly one or the other when it comes to the "rock or metal" question, they end up being almost literally caught between a rock and a hard place. They vary between being too heavy, or not heavy enough. Their music, though well-written, suffers from having a very specific audience: The people in the middle.
6/10
Released in 2011 by Copro Records
Links
Grenouer on FACEBOOK
Grenouer OFFICIAL SITE
Copro Records OFFICIAL SITE
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Grenouer OFFICIAL SITE
Copro Records OFFICIAL SITE
Follow TONEwood on Facebook for daily updates!
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