Grenouer is a Russian rock and metal band formed in Perm in late 1992. Their name intentionally misspells grimoire, a magic textbook.
History
The debut was followed by other albums, released in Russia by labels like Irond, More Hate, Blacksmith Productions, and Metallism, refining their approach.
The third album, The Odour O' Folly, included a cover version of A-Ha's "Take On Me". The fourth album, Presence With War, dealt with the Iraq war. Mickmo, an American creator of comic books, designed the front cover. Steve Beebee wrote that Grenouer "is the most impressive metal statement from an unlikely source" in 2009, reviewing the album for Kerrang! and giving it a 4K-rating.Steve Beebee. Kerrang! magazine. Issue No. 1247, February 17, 2009, Albums, p. 52.
In the mid-2000s, Grenouer's music changed as musicians relocated to Saint Petersburg, shifting toward hardcore, math metal, and progressive rock. The fifth album, Try, was released worldwide in Great Britain by Casket Music (a division of Copro Records); it displayed these influences, though some brutal death metal fans felt Grenouer was betraying their ideals. In fact they were pioneering djent. In a retrospective, Kerrang!s Ryan Bird wrote of Presence With War (released in 2009 in the UK), "Unforgiving to the end, this is metal at its most genuinely ferocious," in another 4K-rating review.Ryan Bird. Kerrang! Issue No.1251, March 7, 2009. Albums review, p. 51
In 2008, the band released their sixth studio album, Lifelong Days, following their previous style. From 2013's Blood on the Face onward, they moved in a more melodic direction, permanently replacing harsh vocals with clean singing.
In 2021, past members formed Grenouer Inc. to return to their death metal roots. They released two singles in late 2023.
Controversy In 2004, the Mayor of Kemerovo banned Grenouer's concert the very same day they arrived at the city, allegedly for the advocacy of violence.The Exventer band member's statement . EXVENTER: "Группа теперь является официально запрещённой в г. Кемерово и Кемеровской области!".
Line-up Ind – vocals Motor – guitar Al Bolo – bass Danny D – drums
Discography 1993 – Death of a Bite (demo) 1996 – Fiery Swans (EP) 1996 – Border of Misty Times 1999 – Gravehead 2001 – The Odour O'Folly 2004 – Presence With War 2005 – Try (EP) 2007 – Try 2008 – Lifelong Days 2011 – Computer Crime (EP) 2013 – Blood on the Face 2015 – Unwanted Today 2019 – Ambition 999 2022 – Paranoid Infinity (Single) 2022 – Mountain Sky (Single) 2023 – A Foe Within (Single)
References
External links Grenouer official web site Grenouer MySpace page Grenouer Youtube channel Grenouer on iTunes Grenouer Interview with Metal Rules More Reviews and Interviews