GrowN – For Life Review

Little by little I begin to understand the subtle words behind some labeling used by the PRs. I don’t mean any criticing here. I’m just making my point. It’s that sometimes the labeling doesn’t exactly fit the music the band performs. Just that.

Ok, then, when they say New Classic Rock they really mean that the band doesn’t want to be sided with any Metal subgenre though the music the band does is pretty much Classic Metal with some more influences. If “Oh Brother” isn’t Metal, and with clear influences of Modern metal, I really don’t know what I’m doing here. “Oh Brother” has those strong and low-tuned guitar riffs so common in so many Metal bands. Maybe due to some strummings and the melodic vocals the band doesn’t consider it Metal. Just maybe. “Borderlines,” for instance, has a strong guitar riff and the characteristic pounding and thundering bass of Metal music. The song is powerful and a powerhouse. In general, I felt with “For Life” that GrowN show a lot of Deep Purple features especially when it comes to the use of the keyboards. Not in all tracks though, mostly in the last, but not least, “Closing Time” which sounds a pretty great deal of what Deep Purple do these days. Well, not really only Purple but a great deal of bands that perform the likes of Symphonic or Industrial Metal.

In one hand, I guess that “For Life” has more the taste of Classic Rock, or to be more precise, the Classic Hard Rock of bands as Bad Company and many others. However, GrowN added some fuel to their writings in the name of trying to be more modern and those features worked pretty fine to the band’s intent. Opening track “Stay Calm” shows it with the moody keyboarding and bass. It’s slow cadence gives a special appetizer while we wait for the powerful and striking guitar riff that ceases as fast as it comes. This strategy of using the guitar riff only on the strongest parts of the song worked pretty fine. Led Zeppelin used to do that. A strong a remarkable guitar riff using that iconic phrasing. It’s impossible to stay calm with it – sorry, no pun intended. On the other hand, following track “Loco Motion” has the taste of the seventies goldies as Grand Funk Railroad.

I do understand that many bands don’t want to be related to Metal. When I say I understand I mean that it’s comprehensible to do so, not that I agree. However, the Metal labeling can bring some dissatisfaction to a band. As I said before important and iconic Metal artists never accepted the label while others embraced it with all the heart. Not really important to mention who. As we metallers know very well the label may be a burden to whom doesn’t have the guts to bear it. Metal is only for the strong at heart. For what it’s worth “For Life” is a good album that many metallers may enjoy.

GrowN “For Life” was independently released on February 16th.

Track Listing:

  1. Stay Calm
  2. Loco Motion
  3. Lizard Brain
  4. For Life
  5. Another Day
  6. Valley Of Bones
  7. Oh Brother
  8. Dead Man Walking
  9. Borderlines
  10. Closing Time

Watch “For Life” official video here: