Metal needs bands like German Groovenom. No, no, I mean it. Seriously. Although I find most of this album horrible or mediocre, I respect the fact that the band is determined to build something new and different and move boundaries. That’s what keeps music alive!
You can discuss whether Groovenom are creating a ‘new wave of mainstream’ as they boast in the anthem of the album, Traitors to the Scene, but they certainly take the trance core/euro techno element further than most other bands do. Blood Stained Child and other do incorporate these elements, so in that sense it’s not a revolution. Again, that’s not the point; some other bands will listen to ‘Pink Lion’ and perhaps like yours truly think that a lot of this is neither very good metalcore nor very good techno, but that they are onto something that can become really good.
I already mentioned Traitors of the Scene. This is the anthem of the album, and it IS a great song. It mixes metalcore with techno in a great way, and that’s all nice. Groovenom are aware that this is the anthem, and therefore they have kindly included a candlelight (i.e. acoustic) version of the song as a bonus track, which, I have to add, plainly sucks.
Other than that, the bonus track Deadbeat is a hard-hitting monster, whereas the rest of the material on the album suffers from fairly poor song-writing. It’s just not interesting enough, methinks.
Check out the band camp link below and see if you think it’s your new mainstream. More power to you if it is.
Tracklisting:
1. Venom in Veins
2. Traitors to the Scene
3. New Wave of Mainstream
4. Bright Nights
5. Metal King
6. Unbeliever
7. Masquerade
8. Crumbling Facade
9. Pink Lion
10. Walking on Shards
11. Generation Porn
12. Apartment 69
+ 4 bonus tracks on the CD
Playing time: 70 long minutes
Release date: 8th of April, 2016
Label: Noizgate Records
Website (bandcamp): groovenomgermany.bandcamp.com/album/pink-lion-lp
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