Grenouer – Unwanted Today

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There are times in our days that we must deal with some kind of new stuff, being inside or outside musical world. In this last case, many things are being done in this very moment of Rock/Metal history. Of course, bands with new insights and more experimental ways of making music suffer a lot due the old and dusty way of thinking of metalheads. And Big Daddy must say again: what belongs the past, must stay in the past, for a brighter future is awaiting us all. And on the case of Russian quartet GRENOUER, they are really looking to the future, but with grounded feet in the present. And their album “Unwanted Today” is a fine and refreshing surprise for our ears.

First of all, the band uses a heavy and melodic insight of a hard rock/rock vision with some elements used on modern metal styles. It’s something that mix pop and rock influences with a Gothic rock esthetic, putting some distorted riffs and electronic effects here and there. This mixture makes their sound accessible to a broader public, but has a melodic grasp that holds the listener by the ears. Good clean vocals (with some distorted ones, like we are used to hear from modern bands), fine riffs and good solos on guitars (sometimes more melodic, other ones more aggressive and heavier), and a very good work done on rhythmic kitchen. Yes, maybe the long time with no musical manifestations on their country due 80 years of communist dictatorship (or dictator-shit, if you know what I mean) had a good effect on Russian bands, after all: they don’t seem to some works done outside Russian frontiers.

Produced by Dualized, the sound quality of “Unwanted Today” is clear and very accessible, but having the necessary weight the band needs. And they have some guests on the album: Eddy Cavazza on guitar, and vocalists Demian Von Dunkelwald, Enrico Erk Scutti and Dmitriy Yankovskiy.

Besides the album could be a bit heavier, it’s good to hear songs like “Unwanted Today” (that starts with a heavy weight riff, seeming a New Metal song in some aspects, but soon the melodies took over), the introspective “On a Rainy Day” (a more melodic and catching song, with a fine work done by bass guitar), and “Point of No Return”. They really are hooking, based on strong choruses and very simple melodies.

Good album.