Review Summary: Greyhoundz are most definitely shedding their nu-metal skin through excellent musicianship and incorporating some fresh prog elements into their sound.
Greyhoundz are among the bands who were at the forefront when nu-metal invaded Philippine shores in the 90''s. The rock quintet played an integral role in putting the genre on the map and introducing nu-metal to the Philippine mainstream. Greyhoundz are Reg Rubio on vocals, Nino Avenido on bass, TJ Brillantes on drums, and Audie Avenido and Allen Cudal (deceased) on guitars.
Unlike in their previous effort,
7 Corners of Your Game, this Manila-based rock outfit seem to have outgrown their being labeled as a typical nu-metal band with songs that deviate from usual nu-metal fare. On their sophomore release,
Greyhoundz, this five-piece band have definitely produced a sound that is more mature in terms of technicality and lyrics, without abandoning the catchy elements of their sound that earned them local airplay in the first place. This may be largely due to the fact that the band is signed to Sony Music Philippines. After giving their discography a listen though, one may find that the hooks the band produces might really be a natural facet of Greyhoundz' sound, and not something brought about by the influence of being under a major label.
The album starts off with
Even - the only track from an asian band included in the asian release of the
Spider-Man soundtrack. We are introduced to a spring-like elastic sound just before the whole band kicks in. This happens to be coming from an ethnic Philippine instrument whose name I have forgotten. It adds a light, funny, almost quirky feeling to the song. Guitarist Audie Avenido's trademark effected harmonic squeals then make their entrance into this album on this track. Those who have listened to the band's debut are once again met by the familiar sound of bassist Nino Avenido's frantic percussive slaps, this time with improved complexity and a more refined approach in terms of technique. Not to mention, Reg Rubio's screams that have become heavier and whose vocal delivery have made way to the intelligibility of most of his lyrics. A solid rhythm section provided by TJ Brillantes and Allen Cudal accompany the band perfectly into the end of Even.
Hole, yet another song included in a movie soundtrack, specifically that of the asian release of the Japanese horror film,
Ringu, is an eerie metal number from the band, thanks in part to Allen and Audie's guitar atmospherics. In addition to the droning bass line, the guitars play a major part in contributing to the menacing feel of the song via heavily effected guitar lines.
Perhaps the band's strongest single from this album is
Your Puppet And Clown. An energetic rock number, the guitars provide the thematic structure of Your Puppet And Clown through a catchy guitar riff that constantly reappears throughout the duration of the song. Freedom is evidently given to bassist Nino as he delivers one of the most complex yet playful bass performances found on the album.
At this point, one starts getting accustomed to the frequent use of whispered vocal parts, that are surprisingly not annoying as one would expect.
Bonfires and Sandcastles, a song bordering on progressive that conjures up images of exactly what the song title says, is Greyhoundz' take on merging reggae and metal into one cohesive song without sounding like an entirely different band.
Songs like
Aftertaste and
Pull showcase the band's now tighter more aggressive sound. Meanwhile, Reg Rubio's clean vocals can be heard on
Karmic, one of the slower songs on the album with a laid back, grungy feel.
Blues Juice is basically a blues jam set against a backdrop of the band conversing amongst themselves about random daily occurrences.
Greyhoundz are most definitely shedding their nu-metal skin through excellent musicianship and incorporating some fresh prog elements into their sound.
