The artist of the week: Grenouer Inc. (Russia)
Grenouer Inc. and the Resurrection of Death Panorama
So, the other day I was digging through some corners of the Russian underground, because, let’s be honest, there’s always something gnarly hiding there.. and I stumbled upon Grenouer. Man, this band is like one of those long-running underground sitcoms you never knew existed but suddenly you’re hooked: they’ve been alive, kicking, and reshaping the scene for decades. It’s not just nostalgia bait either; this project has teeth, history, and a weirdly philosophical streak that makes it feel like the Russian underground is sending you postcards in guttural vocals. If you’re into raw energy, a bit of chaos, and a story that actually matters in extreme metal, Grenouer is one of those bands you really don’t want to sleep on. Grenouer emerged from Perm, Russia, in 1992, right at the moment when the Russian extreme underground was beginning to find its identity. In their earliest years, Grenouer embraced uncompromising death metal, releasing four full-length albums that earned them respect among the local scene and across the CIS. During the 90s, they were not just performers but also organizers, curating the now-legendary Death Panorama Festival, which became a gathering point for the Russian extreme underground. Bands like Mortem, Necrocannibal, End Zone, and Alkonost all shared the stage under Grenouer’s banner.
By 2002, the band relocated to Saint Petersburg, a move that brought with it both fresh opportunities and a major stylistic shift. Grenouer gradually moved away from their primal death metal roots and into more melodic, modern metal territories. While still productive and active, their extreme identity faded, leaving their death metal legacy dormant for nearly two decades.
That legacy was rekindled in late 2021, when former drummer Sergey Lialin revived the Death Panorama Festival in Perm. As part of the revival, a special project took shape: Grenouer Inc., comprised of current and former Grenouer members, was created to resurrect the original death metal spirit of the band. Their live performance at the festival was recorded in multitrack, later mixed and mastered, and now sees release as their debut album.
Discography Context
Grenouer’s discography during their formative years reveals a band in constant negotiation with the extremes of death metal and the emerging identity of Russian underground metal. Border of Misty Times (1996) is raw and unpolished, yet it resonates with the vitality of a scene still defining itself. The album’s production is deliberately grim, with guitars that bite and rasp, drums that pound with an almost tribal ferocity, and vocals that oscillate between guttural menace and frantic screams. Lyrically, it straddles the corporeal and philosophical, hinting at existential dread even in the midst of chaos. This debut established Grenouer as uncompromising and fearless, a band rooted in brutality but aware of the need for narrative depth.
Distant Lights (1998) represents a significant maturation. The riffs become more sophisticated, often intertwining melodic phrasing within the traditional death metal onslaught. Song structures are less linear, embracing tempo shifts that evoke tension and release, a technique that would become a hallmark of the band’s sound. Vocals also show refinement, with alternating timbres that create contrast between the abrasive and the commanding. The thematic content expands beyond mortality and corporeal decay into abstract, almost metaphysical territories, reflecting a band growing intellectually alongside their musical capabilities. Here, the early traces of experimental tendencies, subtle industrial textures and layered harmonics, begin to surface, signaling that Grenouer was unwilling to remain trapped in the orthodox death metal mold.
With Gravehead (2001), Grenouer pushes experimentation to the forefront without relinquishing the genre’s foundational brutality. The album incorporates dissonant harmonics and occasional atmospheric passages that suggest a willingness to explore mood and texture alongside sheer aggression. Guitar work is more angular and precise, with intricate riffs weaving in and out of relentless drum patterns. Vocally, the band alternates between guttural delivery and shrieking high-register passages, creating a dynamic tension that mirrors the lyrical exploration of human suffering, existential conflict, and societal decay. The interplay between structure and chaos is more deliberate than ever, and the industrial-tinged layers hint at a band already conscious of the broader possibilities beyond the rawness of their debut.
Presence with War (2004) serves as both a culmination and a pivot. Musically, the album is the most balanced of their early period, fusing the raw aggression of Border of Misty Times with the complexity and experimental leanings of Gravehead. Riffs are brutal yet melodic, drumming is precise yet unpredictable, and the dual vocal attack achieves a clarity and menace that had previously been uneven. Lyrically, Grenouer dives deeper into philosophical and literary territory, blending the grotesque and the metaphysical in a manner that transcends genre clichés. This album also signals the stylistic shift that would dominate their 2010s releases, as melodic sensibilities become more pronounced and extremity is subtly dialed back, preparing the ground for their modern metal transformation while preserving the core of their early identity.
Comparing the evolution across these four albums highlights Grenouer’s dual commitment: to death metal’s primal energy and to the intellectual and experimental growth of their compositions. Where Border of Misty Times delivers raw ferocity and existential angst in its most immediate form, Distant Lights begins to integrate technicality and thematic expansion. Gravehead embraces atmospheric experimentation and structural complexity, and Presence with War synthesizes these elements into a mature, coherent sound that balances brutality, melody, and philosophical depth. This trajectory illustrates a band that never settled, constantly negotiating between extremity and sophistication, laying a foundation for their eventual resurrection in Grenouer Inc.. The early albums are not mere historical artifacts; they are living documents of a scene in flux and of a band that refused complacency, making the eventual live resurrection at the Death Panorama Festival not just nostalgic, but a reclamation of a deliberately crafted, decades-long musical journey.
Death Panorama Live (2025, Symbol of Domination)
Released on May 27, 2025, through Moldovan label Symbol of Domination Prod., Death Panorama Live is both a resurrection and a declaration. Recorded in Perm at Michurin Club during the 2021 edition of Death Panorama Fest, the album blends eight live renditions of Grenouer’s classic material with three brand-new studio tracks, effectively bridging past and present.
The line-up captures Grenouer’s extended family:
Andrey Ind – vocals
Andrey “Kaban” Lobanov – vocals
Alexander Schatov – guitars, keyboards
Denis “Dekan” Davydov – guitars
Ilya “Duff” Kharchenko – bass
Sergey Lialin – drums
George Tyan – acoustic guitar, keyboards
The result is a 60-minute album that feels less like a casual live set and more like a manifesto.
Track-by-Track Highlights
Sex Optica [live] – A furious opener, drenched in groove but sharpened by death metal’s unrelenting edge. Sets the tone immediately: this is not modern Grenouer, this is Grenouer Inc.
The Time Spool [live] – Complex tempo shifts mirror the lyrical focus on mortality and transience, echoing the philosophical strain of early 90s death metal.
Take On Me (A-Ha cover) [live] – A tongue-in-cheek detour, turning a pop anthem into a guttural, blast-beat assault. It shows irreverence, but also the creative boldness of the band.
Trupniy Zov [live] – Sung in Russian, its title (“Corpse Call”) underlines Grenouer’s early fixation on the corporeal and grotesque.
The Choice of Flesh [live] – A cornerstone of Grenouer’s early catalog, resurrected here with crushing weight. The crowd response captured on record adds visceral energy.
Postnatal Depression [live] – A grim portrayal of psychological collapse, delivered with suffocating heaviness.
In-Sect [live] – Mechanical, almost industrial riffing, recalling how Grenouer sometimes blurred boundaries in their earliest days.
A Memorable Fancy [live] – Inspired by Blake, this track proves that Grenouer’s old material was not only gore-driven but also steeped in esoteric and literary darkness.
Suicide in Horror [studio] – The first of the new tracks, as suffocating as the title suggests. Modern production intensifies the brutality.
Ignorance and Imprudence [studio] – Tight riffing and a sharper vocal delivery suggest that Grenouer Inc. are not just a nostalgia act, but a forward-moving entity.
The Choice of Flesh (acoustic) – The unexpected closer. A reinterpretation that reframes their most iconic death metal track as a bleak acoustic lament. Both shocking and strangely fitting.
Death Panorama Live is more than a live document. It is a cultural bridge — tying the Russian underground of the 90s to the present day. By reviving the Death Panorama Festival, Grenouer Inc. also revives the communal spirit of that scene, and the album captures the celebration of this resurrection.
Symbol of Domination’s involvement ensures the release reaches an international underground audience, contextualizing Grenouer Inc. alongside other extreme acts in their roster.
The album succeeds because it does not attempt to modernize or sanitize Grenouer’s legacy. It is raw, celebratory, sometimes irreverent, and occasionally experimental. The three studio tracks prove that this project has more to offer than nostalgia, while the acoustic closer shows an ambition to reframe their legacy creatively.
Track Spotlight: “The Choice of Flesh [live]”
“The Choice of Flesh” is the centerpiece of Death Panorama Live, and for good reason. From the first crushing riff, it asserts itself as a brutal homage to Grenouer’s 1990s death metal roots. The live recording captures the raw energy of Perm’s Michurin Club, with drums from Sergey Lialin hitting relentlessly, guitars from Alexander Schatov and Denis Davydov cutting sharp and precise, and dual vocals from Andrey Ind and Andrey “Kaban” Lobanov alternating between guttural ferocity and commanding shouts.
The song’s structure balances chaos and control, shifting seamlessly between blistering, high-tempo sections and slower, almost doom-laden grooves. Lyrically, it embodies Grenouer’s signature themes of corporeality, mortality, and existential dread, while the live performance adds an immediacy and intensity impossible to replicate in the studio.
“The Choice of Flesh [live]” is both a nostalgic nod for old-school fans and a visceral introduction for new listeners. It’s the track that most clearly demonstrates why Grenouer Inc. exists: to reclaim the brutal spirit of their formative years and remind the world that the raw power of Russian death metal is far from gone.
