2006-03-06
Is it possible to know a band after listening to just a little over 10 minutes of their music? “TRY” is my first introduction to the Siberian quintet Grenouer, although they have been around since 1992 and already have 4 full length albums out there… this controversial MCD is said to display the reinvented Grenouer, no longer an ordinary mid-tempo death metal band.
Why is this MCD controversial? Well… some consider their change of sound, from a rough and solid one to a grainy and abstract one, a bad move; referring to the actual music, the band defines itself as techno-metal (yes, it’s as made up as it sounds), but what they actually play is much closer to technical death/thrash with the addition of various noise/industrial/electronic effects enslaved for their music.
One can easily find the similarity to
Meshuggah, all the songs here are pretty much bass driven and drum oriented with low tuned guitars franticly riffing and a growled/screamed death metal voice lashes out.
“Devil’s Eye” has such unorthodox sound, so stripped down, so detached, so mechanic, even the vocals are bizarre; the drums are crispy (almost electro metal by definition), bass is fully erected, vocal can be described as aggressive and the guitars play the part of gluing everything together.
The strongest link here is “All along the highway”, being a little less aggressive but making up for it in dynamics, eerie background effects and a mellower lightly progressive break.
“Powdering Squeeze” is the most frantic and most industrial track, having dubbed parts, flat sound parts and a solid tech-metal base.
In My opinion, this is an interesting piece of work, showing it was very well planned ahead, and brilliantly could generate hype for their upcoming full length.
After a total of 10:48 minutes, I’ve become hungry for more; Grenouer have managed to produce the need for a full length in me.
Ofer Vayner
