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GRENOUER - "Gravehead"
Sound Age Productions
Rating: 9.5/10

This Russian act has long ago gained a cult status in their Motherland and now they are hitting the international underground scene with their masterpieces. I expected this album to be great, but I couldn't even think that it would be SO immensely magnificent. I find it utterly perfect in all terms and contexts. Impeccable from the sound production and every single riff to the cover artwork and appearance. Musically, "Gravehead" represents mystical and atmospheric Death Metal, incorporated with multiple elements from metal/non-metal genres. Every song on this MC bears a unique and irrepeatable character. The only shortcoming here are the ineptly handled clean vocals on "Alone in the Dark". I personally find the opening track "The Time Spool" as the most remarkable one. But that doesn't mean that the other eight are less inspiring. It's pointless to describe the advantages of this release. Just get it and you'll never be sorry for that. All hail Russia and GRENOUER! Contact these guys immediately.vladushka86@mail.ru (Krasniy; 30.05.2001)


GRENOUER - "The Odour O'Folly"
Sound Age Productions
Rating: 9/10

This is the second GRENOUER album, dated 2001. Frankly, I thought this band has evoluted into something death-n-roll'ish when I just got this album. At least such song-titles as "Your Beast Tonight", "Skittle Man", "Death Ought to Wait for Me" and others insinuated that. However, my supposition was completely wrong. "The Odour O'Folly" (a weird name for a Brutal Death Metal album, isn't it) comes as much more violent and enraged if compared to their debut "Gravehead", released in 1999 in MC format. The music as I have already mentioned, became even more obscure and destructive (possibly due to those groovy, mind-torturing riffs). All keyboards and acoustic passages are gone into a black abyss and something tells me they'll never return. The overall speed is average and it only contributes to the massive heaviness of this album. There's one more remarkable element here: "The Odour..." features a live cover of A-HA's "Take on Me". Don't know if it suits here or not. However, it is brilliantly performed in a reworked Death Metallish manner and shows how tight GRENOUER team is in performing live. A must! vladushka86@mail.ru (Krasniy; 30.05.2001)