А р х и в / A r c h i v e s

РУССКИЙ/RUSSIAN
Fortitude WEB-ZINE summer 2001
http://fortzine.cjb.net

GRENOUER: Hear the Odour O' Folly

I advise to anyone unfamiliar with GRENOUER to check out the reviews on two of their albums posted in our zine. Just to give a pre-interview background, I'll mention that GRENOUER is quite an established Russian Death Metal band with a history counting approximatively 10 years of activity. The band marked the year 2001 with the release of their third full-lenght album on two labels simultaneously (Blacksmith prod. and More Hate prod.). Another highlight is that GRENOUER was officially cursed (!!!) and banned by the Russian Orthodox Church. This interview was done with GRENOUER's vocalist Andrew "The Indian". Let us see what he had to share with the readers. (Krasniy; 24.07.2001)

1) Andrew, tell us about the band's history, your releases, as well as the current and previous line-ups.
1) GRENOUER story is a pretty long one, a kind of a thorny path. I mean that the band let in and out many musicians, too many for one band and though it has changed the band in the most positive way I personally don't feel quite comfortable about it. Each album features different guitar players; we had had very special problems with guitar players before late 1999 when we found a real GRENOUER soldier on guitar, exactly the one we needed and now we are somehow proud of him Bear in mind that the band started in late 1992. Since that time the band recorded one demo and three full-lenght albums and played a considerable number of live shows, outside our native city as well. The present day line-up looks as following: Sergey Lialin on drums and Denis 'Dekan' Davidoff on guitar - they are in the band from the very start, Slava Kolchin plays bass since 1996, Alexander 'Motor' Sokolov - guitar - yes, he is the hero! And I'm GRENOUER throat since 1994.

2) Is there any significance behind the name GRENOUER?
2) The word GRENOUER doesn't mean a damned thing, but in case if someone wants it there can be some echoes from GRAND GRIMOIRE.

3) Basing on each of your releases, explain the musical and conceptual changes that have been taking place so far.
3) Early GRENOUER played gore death/grind with Russian lyrics. And you can hear it on demo 1993 "Death Of a Bite". Then the band slowed down tempo, added more melody and English lyrics turning to classical death metal which is represented on debut album 1996 "Border Of Misty Times". Two years later we tried to introduce some black elements which made us faster and recorded second album "Gravehead". Finally by 2000 GRENOUER returned to straight death metal attack on "The Odour O' Folly". And now we are working over death'n'roll stuff yet trying to sound like 100% GRENOUER. You may say that we are changing a lot but note that we always keep on with death metal.

4) Andrew, I wonder which labels released your previous works? Are you satisfied with these deals? Are there any specific European/American labels that GRENOUER would like to collaborate with? Are you currently working in this direction?
4) The first full lenght album ( "Border Of Misty Times") was released in 1997 by Metal Agen Rec (Rus) in MC format and then the same year re-released by Magik Art Entertainment (Rus), MC fprmat as well; in fact Magik Art ripped us off . The second album ("Gravehead") was released in late 1999 by Sound Age prods, MCs. The third ("The Odour O' Folly") appeared this year from Sound Age prods on MC and More Hate/Blacksmith prods on CD. This year we are very lucky from the point of view of re-releases. Ukrainian Bloodhead prods has released GRENOUER demo 1993 (split MC Grenouer demo 1993/Tintagel demo 1998) and The Flaming Arts Prods from Belarus has re-released "Gravehead" on MC. Besides, Ukrainian DAC PRODS is going to make a CD release called "GRENOUER Early Works" which will be compiled of demo 1993+mini demo 1996 "Fiery Swans"+ "Border...". And Russian Bear Prods (from Russia of course) is estimating to release "Gravehead" on CD. But all this doesn't really mean a damned thing for all the releases have nothing in common with a serious deal. We haven't signed any papers and all the rights on our music remain in our hands. Any band released on CIS metal labels hardly receive a decent promotion and even from Metal Agen Rec (they have a new name now - MUSICKNESS RUSSIA) which restricts its activity to one or two bands. So, the situation in general looks as following - a label releases 1000 or so copies of your album, then you receive 50 or 100 free copies and the whole affair is over. No promo work to be done, except distibuting you music, selling tapes or CDs. That's why we are searching a proper abroad label which will be ready to offer us a proper deal. Actually we have already sent tons of promo tapes and CD'Rs but this hasn't served us a thing. Maybe people are afraid to have any affairs with Russians or maybe we are not so good as a band yet, ha-ha. Thus there's no difference what abroad label to pick up. Just any one ready to have us.

5) Is there any ideological background in your creations? Truthfully, I haven't spotted anything of this sort. However, the lack of ideology is a rarity for contemporary death/black bands...
5) No ideology, the music rules Ideology has something in common with propaganda, hasn't it? I don't mean we are devoid of ideas, there are plenty of them, but no focus on any narrow theme.

6) How do you assess the current state of Russian Metal Underground scene? Any favorite or supported bands?
6) Here are many bands and many of then are good. Still many of them I dislike. First of all those who believe themselves gods. Sorry, no names. We try to support our local stage (Perm Region) and to keep contacts with as many bands as possible, exchanging tapes, news and sometimes gigs.

7) I'm aware of the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church has officially cursed GRENOUER some years ago. I believe it's an unprecedented case for Metal scene except alike situations related to DEICIDE and BURZUM. Could you reveal us the details of your case. Have you faced any impact coming as a consequence?
7) That anathema is a complete crap. The story is just a little piece of fun - the head of the Russian Orthodox Official Church was paying a visit to our city.During the same days we were having a concert. Our posters were decorated with nice pentagrams. That's what Mr. Priest didn't like and during his sermon he didn't miss a chance to show the poster off and to cusre people involved in the concert. And that was all, no consequences. It didn't affect us at all but now I start thinking that it could have been. For Official Orthdoxes become more and more impudent!!!

8) It's obvious, that Death Metal can't provide any living in Russia. Can you tell us how you and other GRENOUER members gain their bucks. I heard that you work in the Russian educational system. Am I right?
8) You'll never get a penny being a death metal band in Russia. We all have fucking jobs to earn our living and to spend considerable parts of our salary for our band. Two of us are teachers at secondary school, thus we avoid army service, it's a kind of alternative service and it brings very little money. The other guys are not millioners as well with their very ordinary jobs indeed.

9) Have you got any plans aobut moving out of Perm to a bigger city in order to promote the band more properly? The example of T.H.R.O.N. (ex THRON') shows that this strategy is able to bring some purely stunning results.
9) Bigger cities? Perm population is over 1000000 people! Yeah, it's not so big as Moscow or St. Petersburg but it's far from being small. And there's no actual sense in going to Moscow when you cannot earn your living playing death metal stuff. There are more possibilities in Moscow, of course, to promote your band - billions of clubs, festivals, magz, labels, but that is not enough to become A STAR, you know. You've mentioned T.H.R.O.N. ... their succes is not really terrific. (this doesn't mean their coming to Moscow hasn't done them good; rather the reverse - they became one of the leading Russian metal acts there; and I respect them a lot for being so persistent, and for being great musicians as well). Still when you play concerts all for free and go on working at ordinary jobs... nearly the same happens at home and you can stay home and promote your band throughout UG correspondence waiting for the better days days to come.

10) There is a common opinion that Moscow Metal scene differs drastically with the rest of the Russian scene. This statement mostly deals with the arrogance and badly grounded ambitions of the majority of Moscow bands. Is this opinion close to what you personally think? Any examples you might give?
10) One shouldn't speak so categorically. I know some Moscow bands which have never shown on stage and they even regtret themselves living in a capital. Besides, most of the Moscow bands we shared stage together were not arrogant at all. Yes, there are several bands thinking too much of themselves, though you can find the same samples within the whole Russian metal stage. There's no difference WHERE you play.

11) The given question is not music related. What is your position towards the new Russian Administration? Russian and international press is overloaded with articles regarding the serious economi growth in Russia. Being a Russian citizen, can you evaluate the rightfulness of this data? There are also some talks about the attacks on democracy in Russia. I know the whole situation with Russian democracy, thus I can doubtlessly claim all these fears are nothing but a piece of stinking shit. However, European and American readers might still believe that Russia is fully controlled by KGB and might still be afraid that Stalin times are coming back :). What do you have to say about that?
11) The new major is a bigger asshole than the previous one. The KGB officer, isn't that enough to make a conclusion? That so called economical growth is a fiction; well, you can buy more goods but that's not due to economical development. As usual Russia is very dependent upon oil trade and in case something changes a bit in the world oil market the pyramid will ruin in a second. As for the freedom of speech... the things are not getting better. This is entely the KGB policy, however friendly and democratic it tries to appear, its methods are of the old mettle.

12) Second political question. As you know, the G8 summit is currently being hosted in Genoa (21.07.2001). Countless hordes of so-called "anti-globalists" are showing their protest to the world leaders by the means of crushing the windows of fast-food restaurants, surrounding shops, cafes, attacking policemen, etc. How do you think, is there a rational core in their sequences or they are just a bunch of socially unsatisfied twiddlers willing to show off?
12) Anarchical extremism is a complete bullshit to follow. Crushing shops and groceries hurt ordinary people (for instance the owners and passers-by) who have nothing in common with all the political bastards. Thus you prove nothing except you being a vandal. And such vandals shouldn't be admitted to State power, the same vandals got Russia ruined in 1917.

13) Anyway, let us get back to music. Have you ever had any proposals of performing live abroad? Which bands would you like to share the stage with?
13) There hasn't been any serious suggestions to play abroad and I hardly believe there can be any before a band signs a deal. And we haven't lost hopes to sign such a deal. We are ready to play with any metal band and believe ourselves quite a good show on stage.

14) What syles of music are you into? Your favorite old and contemporary bands.
14) Oh, we are deep into different kinds of music. And into different kinds of heavy music. Our death metal favourites are ENTOMBED, 6 FEET UNDER, ATROCITY, DISMEMBER, CARCASS, BENEDICTION and many more. Not very original, in fact, or not so heavy, one can say. Well, we are more inclined now to mid tempo death rock which lies far from brutal standards. When you play not so fast this doesn't mean you don't sound heavy. It's just another sort of weight. Modern bands? Yeah! Such stuff as SLIPKNOT, COAL CHAMBER, MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY is pretty good though commercial.

15) What kind of literature do GRENOUER members prefer?
15) I'd love to speak only for myself. I love to read a lot and reading is more than a mere hobby for me. My absolute guru is Ernest Hemingway and Hemigway's lost generation was the topic of my graduation research work at University. And more authors to mention - Franz Kafka, Jean-Paul Sartre, Knut Hamsun, Henry Miller, F.S. Fitzgerald... Somehow literature influences our lyrics but not directly.

16) Hey Andrew, is there any place for hate and fear in your heart? What (who) is the target of your negativity?
16) Even if a man says he hasn't enemies that turns out untrue. There is always someone against you and maybe that's just a necessary nature balance. So I can easily find people I hate - dirty criminals, addicts or just anyone who thinks he (or she) can intrude into my life. Well I'm afraid to die before I complete what I've planned. I have much to do and to say, you know.

17) Your latest album "The Odour O' Folly" features a live cover of A-HA's "Take on Me". Truthfully, experiments of this sort are quite rare for Death Metal bands. So, why did you pick A-HA and why is it a cover version?
17) I believe many metal bands make pop/rock cover versions now - SIX FEET UNDER, ATROCITY, VADER... So we have been far from original. You may ask why A-Ha them. As a matter of fact I don't like A-Ha very much but the picked-up song is alright and popular indeed, I suggest an idea of a good video in case we find appropriate money. And live version was designed to show what GRENOUER presents itself on stage.

18) I believe, you agree, that East-European and CIS underground scenes have become quite active in the recent 2-3 years. A great number of various labels and zines have appeared. Unfortunately, a considerable part of these "labels" turn out to be mere childish experiments. What is your position on these tendencies? How do you think, are they positive or not?
18) Yeah, sometimes it's funny enough to know about so-called labels or zines which hardly release a single tape or issue. The guys think they can do it easily but then they give up. The guys making tapes with xero-copied covers and naming themselves a label are also funny indeed. Well, a fanzine is alright in such case when they don't call it "a magazine". There's basically no harm from these activities unless they rip you off. Still, we are to trust people or else the whole UG idea gets ruined. The situation is expected to develop in the nearest years (years, ha!) but now as I've mentioned above there's no label within CIS ready to promote metal bands seriously while there ARE several PRETTY SERIOUS BANDS. Serious metal magz you can count with your one hand's fingers.

19) Hey Andrew, reveal us GRENOUER's creative plans for this and upcoming year. I know that you are currently working on your new material, when is it supposed to see the light?
19) We are not in a big hurry to compose new material. There's not much sense to be in a hurry when you remain an unlabeled band, when you spend much money, your own money at studio. If we finally sign something then we'll become more active; I dare say we're not passive as well. Hopefully we'll be ready with new GRENOUER 40 minutes by the spring, 2001. Then we'll have to care about recording them... Out newly composed tracks tend to more death and roll vein without any loss of GRENOUER typical traits.

20) To sum up all the things that you spoke about, your last words and comments regarding this interview...
20) Your interview is one of the best I have answered this year! Thanx a lot for your interest paid and your activity in general!!! Stay underground!!!

Interview taken by Krasniy