Review: Sleetgrout – 'We Had A Carnival'

SLEETGROUT 

'We Had A Carnival' 

VENDETTA MUSIC 

From the darkest depth of Mother Russia comes the trio of Sleetgrout. At first listen this may come off as pretty formulaic, club-friendly harsh ebm. Despite some flirtations with Hardstyle, it has the distorted vocals, pounding bass, hard beats and the aura of a “paint by numbers” take on Suicide Commando you'd expect. Yet Sleetgrout still manage to get their hooks into you.

The band are young, confident, have a great ear for a catchy melody and a real knack at making the listener sit up and pay attention. It's that intangible ability to just make everything nice and catchy so as to get feet tapping and bodies moving that they do really well.

That being said, this isn't just dance music. Yes, songs like 'Get Rid Of This Life', 'Go To Heaven', 'Stay', 'We Had A Carnival', and 'Hell are undeniable floor-fillers. But the band does throw in some more interesting elements to their songwriting in the form of the progressive strains of 'Let's Talk About My Life' and the dark rhythms of 'Sleetgrout'.

This is a nicely produced and mixed album that gives the songs the big sound they need to catch people's attention in a club. It's also a sound that will no doubt translate very well to live performance.

The band's quirky style is definitely enjoyable and there is no denying that they can crank out a pleasing, though not always ground-breaking, dance track. But it's those hints of a more progressive leaning makes them a little frustrating. It's a little glimpse of bold ideas and intriguing directions that they don't quite follow up on. But perhaps this is their cleverest trick? By hinting at just enough to make you want to hear what the next album will bring. Well it has certainly worked in this case.

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