Slaughter to Prevail : "Grizzly"

 

This is the third album from the Russian band who ironically fled to Orlando, due to the war, in which they seem to not support slaughtering to prevail. They find themselves sonically somewhere between metalcore and nu-metal with the sample-heavy production on this album. The kick off a more nu-metal direction with the Slipknot bounce of "Russian Grizzly in America", which makes sense after I initially heard of these guys when researching bands riding the resurgence of nu-metal a few years ago. Their front man, Alex Terrible, has succeeded in making himself into a personality larger than his actual band. 

Speaking of personalities, Ronnie Radke joins them for "Imdead" and his singing makes things more Slipknotty by providing the vocal hook. "Babayka" has a more varied staccato groove, and I like the atmospheric touches, while some people might complain this takes the brutality from the foundation of the genre, it's needed to keep things from being one-dimensional. "Viking" is a little more along the just keep it a brutal beat down lines. Thus, does not make it as memorable as the first four songs. "Koschei" has a more industrial mood to it.

 "Song 3" was written with Baby Metal, and it is what it might sound like if a Labubu made music. "Lift That Shit" is for all the powerlifting metal TikTok, The drummer proves that he loves Slipknot, and the vocal pattern helps to confirm this. I would still be pretty stoked if it played in the gym, "Behelit" works off a thick crunching groove. The orchestral synths help it fall into place. But the willingness to use melody alone does not make a song "Rodina" might sound big, but it does not hook me in. It feels like an over-dramatic Rammstein power ballad. 

"Conflict" finds them a little too chaotic and heavy for their own good, though I like the effects on the vocals. "Kid of Darkness" reminds me of "Roots" era Sepultura, but with bigger production. "1984" is not a David Bowie cover, but an ode to the war in their homeland they ran from, it has more heart to it than pallning with the raw arrangement that is explosive, but sounds like demon-possessed Limp Bizkit otherwise. I will give this album a 9, as even with its flaws, the sum of its parts proves to be a step forward for the band that should find them moving into headliner status for good. 

pst324