Incorporated

Grip Inc.

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 22, 2004)
• Original Release Date: March 16, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Steamhammer/SPV
• ASIN: B00018QIV6
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #68,896 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
GRIP INC. has returned with the finest work of an already impressive career. Originally forged in the mid 90s as a post-Slayer vehicle for percussion legend Dave Lombardo (he has since rejoined), GRIP INC. have evolved into a truly dynamic force on the international hard music scene. INCORPORATED is the ultimate realization of the GRIP INC. sound, with Waldemar Sorychta's multi-flavored guitar aggression and Lombardo's virtuoso drum performance setting the perfect stage for an utterly inspired vocal effort from UK-punk expatriate Gus Chambers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get a Grip Inc., June 9, 2004

By	Mr D. "Artist/Designer/Kibitzer" (Cave Creek, Az United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I know Grip Inc. is supposed to resemble Slayer. Dave Lombardo once former and now current Slayer drummer extraordinaire is the bands founder and leader but I find the album, Incorporated to be sort of an amalgamation of Black Metal and Heavy Metal.

From a Heavy Metal point of view I am reminded of Monster Magnet and from a Black Metal perspective, Samael and Tiamat. I suppose the resemblance to Tiamat is not surprising considering, Waldemar Sorychta, the excellent guitar player, once played for Tiamat on two of their better albums

Incorporated is Grip's fourth album and though I've only heard snippets from the first three, to me it seems that they are getting less hardcore with each subsequent release. Fans of Slayer and early Grip Inc. may not appreciate this evolution but I find the variety of textures and tempos in this album, which are missing to varying degrees is the previous releases, to be far more interesting. All songs are written by Sorychta and Gus Chambers, Grip's throaty singer and are contemporary Heavy Metal, always displaying the strengths of these phenomenal musicians who seem to go together like bacon and eggs.

Killer and Almost Killer Cuts

"The Answer" is a medium fast but variable number that has a Toolish, Middle Eastern melody and background during the chorus. The verses are slower and speed up on the choruses which are sung much heavier

"Prophecy" Best song. A very catchy beat permeates this clever, rousing medium fast song. This is a song you want to get up and dance to, especially in the chorus which have backing vocalists. This song gets your attention and stays with you.

"Enemy Mind" Here we slow down but just a little. We start out with a nifty acoustic guitar solo intro for about 45 seconds, whereupon chambers picks up the vocal and the pace picks up. Another catchy number although not like "Prophecy".

"Skin Trade" Very fast tempo, highly melodic, with a somewhat Middle Eastern Flavor

"(Built To) Resist" Best song. Already taken? Ok, it's a tie. Resist is a much slower, deliberate song with a cello a violin and who knows what else. This song really reminds me of Samael.

"The Gift" fairly uptempo with more of Samael's sound but with a Tool background. Hmmmm, very interest....ing.

"Blood of Saints" Best song! Already taken, twice? Ok, it's a three way tie. Monster Magnet it is. Wow, catchy beat and melody. Medium fast, similar to the other faster songs but of course a little better. Kind of like Deadman's Party with attitude

"Man With No Insides" man this Lombardo can play the drums, the man with the golden hands and iron leg. Another song in the Tiamat/Samael vein, slow and ominous and oh so catchy!!

Conclusion

Incorporated is a assemblage of first-rate riffs cleverly dispersed into 11 catchy ditties enhanced by over the top performances with personality and chops galore and which defies many of metal's genre-specific trends like brutal Death Metal grunts and grating Black Metal fatalism. It is both modern and primitive, tribal and mechanical, occasionally mixed with Arabian melodies and electronic elements

In a nutshell these are accomplished musicians whose work meshes together to form a moderately industrialized, clinically precise, user friendly Heavy Metal. Lombardo's thunder skin work is balls out great, Sorychta's many razor sharp riffs are perfect and Chambers plays his role to a tee.

Final Rating: 4.45 stars

Similar Artists

Monster Magnet, Rage, Babylon (...), Rain, Axxis, Tiamat, Samael, Sentenced, In Flames, Slayer

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different, but different is good, February 22, 2005

By	Scott Rodriguez "sheismysin" (Lakewood, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Well everyone always says "slayer" when referring to Grip, but I've never thought that was the case, even on their older discs...but it's really not the case on this disc. I must admit, when I first bought this CD, I wasn't TOTALLY into it...but the riffs are infections...and the songs stay in your head. I found myself putting back in the CD almost everyday until I grew to love it.

It's a refreshing change of pace from the typical thrash you hear...but it's still heavy as heck. It's really hard to describe, but I definitely put it in my top 10 of the year. The songs are good, but there are about 5 or 6 REALLY badass songs that justify buying this. From the 2nd song to about the 7th...it's just great music! :-)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it!, October 15, 2004

By	hugues (Canada) - See all my reviews

No, Grip inc. can't be compared to Slayer. Indeed, the man behing the band is the singer: Gus Chambers. He does the job (music and lyrics) and then Waldemar and Dave play it. I read it could resemble Tiamat. No way! Just listen to the two last releases of Tiamat (excellent by the way!), it has nothing to do with this. Grip inc. is probably one of the best metal bands ever because it does never follow what the standards are and plays its own music. It's really creative with many ambiances mid-tempos and various crazy arrangements. I would rather compare them to Machine Head for that reason. Well, overall this album is one of the best of 2004. It takes several times to really appreciate it, because it's very rich and unusual. Nothing compares to this! Just try it, please!!!