Grenadier is a Canadian melodic death metal band that comes from a line of clones for the infamous Arghoslent. They released a demo back in 2021 before releasing their first studio album a year later titled "Trumpets Blare in Blazing Glory". Though this record does go for a more straightforward approach to the Arghoslent sound, I think the way it's executed might actually be better than the original.
The album cuts straight to the chase in the first track "Atrocity Cycle", with its harsh, yet melodic guitar riffs blaring throughout the track. The riffs do feel highly influenced from Arghoslent's "Incorrigible Bigotry" and especially "Hornets of the Pogrom" given the folk-influences and rather harsh moments. However, the riffs have more melodic undertones compared to their original counterparts, which not only sound great, but I'd argue that these melodic riffs sound better than those on Arghoslent since they aren't overtaken by the harsher riffs and stand out better. The drumming is also really good, as with a diverse amount of beat patterns and intense pounding, the drums flow well within the war-like atmosphere. Even the bass is great, with its deep, groovy bass play providing an excellent foundation as well as flowing nicely with the guitars. While the track does have its fair share of deep and harsh moments, it's the more melodic and upbeat moments that make this song, alongside the rest, truly shine. Besides the opening track, "Commending the Imperial", "The Napoleonic Code", and "Plight of the Naath" are my personal favorites, with the closing track in particular having a beautiful riff in the middle section that plays an atmospheric riff that feels mesmerizing. Not only do the instruments get the Arghoslent songwriting, but it also includes more melodic elements that improve the formula a lot.
The vocals are also fantastic. Adam Sharr of Nocturnal Prayer does the vocals on here, and they're really good. Compared to the high-pitched shrieks from Nocturnal Prayer, Adam goes for some deep growls with the occasional shriek. A good example is in the shortest track "Storm Attrition". With the melodic riffs, Adam contrasts the triumphant riffs well with his deep growls, and on top of flowing well with the riffs, also fit the story of the intense war. The shrieking is also great at the more intense moments, with the crazed screams enhancing the more wild tone in those moments. As good as the vocals were in The Levant Sultanate, this album would expand upon those vocals further, and in turn makes the album even more likable.
Then, of course, there's the lyrics. Compared to the racist and problematic lyrics of Arghoslent, the lyrics on this album mainly deal with war and battles, which I think are fantastic. A great example of this is in the title track "Trumpets Blare in Blazing Glory", where this verse quotes:
Overthrow the lined defenses
Battered men come to their senses
Brittle men retreat
To admit their cowardice
Bearing white to strike a deal
Only to be met with steel
Pleading on deaf ears
That want your existence to cease
In this particular verse, the enemy team looks to be surrendering, only for the leading team to continue to hunt them down. The tone of the lyrics here are unforgiving, as they double down on a "no mercy" attitude that feels genuine, and makes you feel as though the enemies deserve it. It's also similar in the track "Napoleonic Code", where the line "Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake" is repeated twice, a subtle, yet great reinforcement of the idea to strike your enemy when they least expect it. Furthermore, these lyrics are just about perfect with this type of melodic death metal, with the harsh and melodic riffs and growling vocals further painting the picture of the intense and violent moments in history. The lyrics on this album are great at its brutal perspective of war, and flow perfectly with the instrumentals and vocals.
In a way, one could argue that this album is basically a continuation of Arghoslent's third album, but without the racial apology and mediocre riff play half the time. With a more melodic approach to the harsh composition, plus some powerful vocals and poetic lyrics about war, and it's definitely one of the best Arghoslent-worship bands out there. For those looking for a good alternative to Arghoslent, this is one band I would highly recommend.
Sample:
Grenadier - Trumpets Blare In Blazing Glory (full album, 2022)
