Under Red Skies

Grimriot

SEPULTURA, ANGRA, KRISIUN; massive names come to mind when we think of Metal from Brazil; […]
By Daniel Fox
January 24, 2015
Grimriot - Under Red Skies album cover

SEPULTURA, ANGRA, KRISIUN; massive names come to mind when we think of Metal from Brazil; a culturally-rich and culturally massive country with a metal scene to rival the world's best; and yet I still find myself surprised when I come across new bands from the region. Hailing from Porto Alegre, GRIMRIOT play an aggressive, groovy (hell, even funky) brand of an effective fusion between Metalcore and Groove Metal; their new album, "Under Red Stars", offers something new to the table, at least.

"The Last Chance" opens the album, heavily steeped in Nu-Metal, not too far removed from the likes of DISTURBED or GODSMACK. If you don't instantly fall in love with the bass tracking in this song, you might not have an ear for this music; it possesses the sonic sweet spot between growl and clarity, even sounding a bit slappity at times. One of the best-crafted songs on the album, the raw aggression is broken up by brief moments of calm, Gui's vocals displaying quite some versatility. "Believe Me" sees some versatility brought to the album; keeping to a steady diet of crunch, in addition, it is one of the catchier tracks on the album, and includes an array of more melodic vocals and guitars, paying no small heed to the immense, soaring guitar solo on the track.  It's right about now that enjoyment of the album is truly set in stone.

"By Myself" sees the incredibly bass work of Lucas at work once again, with an uncanny ear for infectious, punchy and forceful groove; as a whole, the track is exemplary of the band's penchant for strong arrangements; Metalcore and Nu-Metal has a habit of going terribly stale; I don't know about you, but I have yet been able to listen to any such album through-and-through. GRIMRIOT, however, have managed to captivate my attention with tracks like this. For similar reasons, "More than Just a Man" turned out to be my absolute favourite; a stellar combination of blistering-yet-catchy leads typical of the most stalwart of Gothenberg bands, the aggressive crunch of their Groove and Nu roots, and modern flares in the arrangement created a dynamic, pummelling arrangement.

GRIMRIOT should be proud to be a part of the Brazilian metal scene, because I feel that they are part of the reason why the country possesses one of the biggest and best Metal agglomerations in the world.

9 / 10

Almost Perfect

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"Under Red Skies" Track-listing:

1. The Last Chance
2. Revolt
3. Believe Me
4. Scars
5. Break the Rules
6. By Myself
7. Pressure
8. Bring It On (feat. Masseti)
9. Under Red Stars
10. Heart of Darkness
11. More Than Just a Man
12. Mind Your Own

Grimriot Lineup:

Gui Acauan - Vocals
Brunno Tripovichy - Guitar and Backing Vocals
Keith Eberhartd - Guitar
Lucas "White" Schwartz - Bass and Backing Vocals
Rafael Kniest - Drums

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