Monday 9 February 2009

Grotus - Brown (1991)


The band's debut album before the milestone that was '...Apocalypse', is an intriguing journey into industrialised oddness and surreal rock 'n' roll. Here's a band who don't really abide by any rules, but you'll find the buzzing, mechanical grunge-grind far more colourful than say Ministry or Cop Shoot Cop. I was heavily into this type of angst-ridden, iron-clawed metal as much of the metal genre lost its satanic bite, but for many to hear such strange sounds was a little too much to handle outside the frame of metal and it's once rather restrictive fires. 'Brown' works by its use of film samples, its clanking, angry beats which would make the record almost danceable were it not for the violence. 'Pharmaceutical' is a multi-layered soundscape with pulsating cyber beats and the grey commentary of Lars Fox, and noisy Adam Tanner riffs. The magic of Grotus is the unpredictable nature, the never knowing what's going to come next, something akin to Swamp Terrorists and their brand of chaos. Like some apocalyptic David Lynch soundtrack which rumbles into a future of anarchy. You just cant help but hop on the rusty train and descend into the heartbeat of madness.


7.5/10

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