Friday, June 07, 2013

GRANDEXIT - The Dead Justifies The Means

Sometimes a band can make you raise an eyebrow from the first moments of their music, even if you haven't heard anything from them in the past, and Grandexit is one of those. Existing since the late 90's under different names, this is the first complete full length album of the band in Lifeforce Records, and certainly a release that will make an impact. The band comes from Sweden, and their music is strange and peculiar enough to tag and keep you interested until the end. Based on Death forms the band explores various influences from extreme elements to super catchy melodies and clear vocals, making an album that is full of surprises from start to finish. Traditional Death Metal meets complex structures into a interesting result that combines the best of both worlds. Add to that enough Thrash riffs, some Classic moments, and enough groove to get you moving. Brutal vocals, sometimes closer to Hardcore and others closer to Death, co-exist with clear background vocals, killer melodies, catchy razor-sharp riffs, and a rhythm section that simply kicks ass. The musicians are very talented and experienced, and they perform with a precision that often amazes, supporting their music, either being fast and aggressive, or slower and melodic. The arrangements are very good, complex and quite intriguing, full of surprises, ideas, and plenty of experiment. Another strong point is the production which is as heavy and distorted as should be, but also leaves room for all the details and the instruments to flourish. Maybe the bigger plus of the band is their ability to create music that is so diverse and contains so many surprises that the listener doesn't know what to expect. Often aggressive albums tend to become boring, or have moments where things are indifferent, but much effort has been put here to avoid that. Each song has it's own personality, and despite the fact that there are the catchy tunes that stick to your mind, everything has things to reveal if you care enough to look.



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