Project Grimm - "Huge Beings"
(Camera Lucinda 2003, CL005)
Project Grimm - "Huge Beings"
(Camera Lucinda 2003, CL005)
Uploaded to Aural Innovations: October 2003
Project Grimm was formed in 1996 by Mike Gunn guitarist John Cramer after the demise of that great Texan psych band. Their first album was released in 1996, but Huge Beings, recorded between 1997-2000, sat in the vaults until this year when Camera Obscura released it in a numbered edition of 500 on their Camera Lucinda sub-label.
Joining Cramer (guitar, synths and vocals) is Drew Calhoun on bass and Rick Costello on drums. In short, this is a solid balls-to-the-walls rock n roll album. Project Grimm seem to draw equally from 70's hard rock and more modern 90's rock influences, with bits of psychedelia scattered about. The promo sheet notes that the band had been criticized via comparisons with The Mike Gunn, a band I liked a lot, and indeed I made it a point to give their Almaron album a couple spins prior to reviewing this disc... but I can't imagine anyone listening to this album with an open mind and not being bowled over by it's power and hip shakin, head bangin intensity. The band do an excellent job and cranking out guitar crashing hard rock that also focuses on melody and song.
Among the highlights is the opening track, "Living Without It", a very cool Bluesy psychedelic hard rock tune. It's an excellent song and there are some great dirty jam moments. "No Touch To Lose" and "Lifetime Of Goodness" are equally power rocking, with the modern rock stylings coming through even stronger. "Fish King", "Seven Long Years" and "Frankly Dan" are potent rockers that grabbed me hard. "Cane" is a standout track and clearly a tribute to Led Zeppelin. It's not quite a cover, but the rhythms are definitely Zeppelin and includes bits of lyrics like... "I don't know but I've been told, big leg women ain't got no soul"... sound just a wee bit familiar? And "Melville" is a kick ass rocker with a similar Zeppelin feel. Too bad this project didn't last, but kudos to Camera Obscura for making it available.
For more information you can visit the Camera Obscura web site at:
http://www.cameraobscura.com.au.
There is a Project Grimm web site at: http://www.projectgrimm.com, though it doesn't seem to
have been updated in some time.
Contact via snail mail c/o Camera Obscura; PO Box 5069; Burnley VIC 3121; Australia.
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz