Music: Grenouer: Life Long Days

Our Take

As I mentioned in other reviews, Locomotive Records seems to be attempting to expand their roster to include much more than just power metal and death metal. We’ve seen them put out more mainstream sounding thrash with Eminence and now the label has grabbed long running Russian band Grenouer, who sound like a cross between Mudvayne, 3rd Strike and Fear Factory mixed with a little death metal. Though this mixed style only came in recent years, the group’s newest album Life Long Days offers up some interesting ideas but never seems to fully realize them.

The instrumental styles will instantly seem familiar to those who are into more commercialized forms of metal. The guitars are constantly chugging and there is a slight industrial edge at times, not unlike Fear Factory. But while the industrial elements could help Grenouer stand out, it feels like the band has included these as an afterthought rather than seriously incorporating them into their music. In addition to this, the aforementioned chugging guitar riffs sound way too similar from song to song. Fans of the bands mentioned in the introduction may be able to get into it, but Grenouer needs more variety to make an impact.

Though they may be from Russia, the vocalists sing and scream in styles that sound very American. The screamer is close in range to Burton Bell, offering a rough scream that can still be understood (unlike that of a death metal screamer/growler). Grenouer also makes use of their clean singer on many of the songs, giving the vocals quite a bit of variety from song to song. This is definitely impressive, and it’s a shame that the instrumentals just can’t quite match up.

I believe that Life Long Days may be one of Grenouer’s first albums available in the United States, and it will definitely please fans of mainstream metal even if they may grow tired of it rather quickly. This album does showcase potential, but I feel that this Russian group needs to change things up every once in awhile and up the industrial influence quite a bit. For now we have a competent band, but there is better talent to be found on Locomotive’s roster and hopefully Grenouer will up the ante next time around.

http://www.locomotivemusic.com

Chris Dahlberg
July 05, 2008