| CD REVIEW GrimmStine |
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Band : GrimmStine This Fargo, North Dakota based band was formed in July 2008 as a collaboration between Steve Stine (a relatively unknown guitarist who’d been active with the bands Dozer and covers band Methuselah until then) and Britain’s legendary Steve Grimmett (off Medusa, Chateaux, Grim Reaper, Seven Deadly Sins, Onslaught, Lionsheart, and Steve Grimmett Band repute), with the intent of mixing elements from Grimmett’s past musical experiences with those of ‘80s US Metal, and throw in some more modern influences to make for a powerful Power Metal act that displays the best of all these “worlds”, so to speak. Joining the two would be bassist Hat and drummer Dave Johnson (both of Sons Of Poseidon, the latter also having Methuselah and Denied By Christ on his curriculum). Having made their live debut on October 10, 2008 (at Fargo’s Rick’s Bar), the four eventually set to work on recording the 15 tracks that would make up the track-list of their debut album. In the US the album’s been available through CDBaby.com and CDUniverse.com since Spring, and eventually a copy of it was sent to us through Britishagency TSM/SLW Promotions (a review by one of my collegues was posted 25/08/2009). Now that the album is finally also officially released in Europe, I’m asked to give you an opinion as well…and let me tell you that, just because I respect the work Mr. Grimmett’s done in his past ventures, that inplies I’m gonna love this unconditionally! Nah, that ain’t how I work, see! I usually go about listening to albums before I start checking the info, and what I got from my first listening sessions was a feeling of…incoherance?…and overkill!!! I mean, 15 songs make up for almost 73 minutes of music, and before the Grimmet fan starts moving up ‘n’ down from anticipation of getting this album in his hands…or rather his cd-player…(s)he better be warned that above mentioned “elements” have been spread somewhat over the album (hence the incoherance), with a couple of ballads (“You’ll Never know”, “You Give Me Love”, the album closing lullaby-ish “To Sing A Lullaby (Immy’s Song)” representing the AOR side of things, occasionally remeniscent of Whitesnake (especially in power ballads “You’ll Never Know” and “This Don’t Look Like Love”) or Tyketto (“’Til They Take My Wings”). If you’re into Heavy with loads of melody, tracks such as “Got Nothing But Time”, “Afraid Of The Dark”, “Prisoner” will serve you with a bit of Dokken-ish heavieness, while “Supernatural” is perhaps of a Joe Lynn Turner nature, but then on the heavier side of what he’s been concocting these last years! To get things all-out and somewhat Malmsteen-coloured, check out tracks such as “911”, “It’s Over”, “Take This Air”, the almost Maiden-remeniscent “To Catch A Killer”, or “Straight As An Arrow” (which opens with a misleading piano bit). In essence, this album takes a lot of the listener to bite through in one session, and this mainly because of the material’s diversity and sheer quantity. It gives those listening to the album the first couple of times a feeling of bored “More?”, a feeling which only starts to subside after having let the complete album sink in, after having become completely familiar with the whole album. Personally, I feel the band had done better to cut about 5 tracks to make for a shorter album…that would’ve come over much easier! Like, for instance, if they’d only used the 10 (full-length) tracks they posted at myspace.com/grimmstine for all of you to check out! Grimmett is still in my list of favourite British vocalists (I mean, he’s gone ahead vocally since his Grim Reaper days, hasn’t he!?!), but this album has been quite a test! Loved listening to him do those more sensitive ballads though…it was actually nice to listen to a more sensitive side of this British Metalhead! 83/100 Tony. |