Reviewed by Alex Figgis

Since the band's inception in the early '90s, Grammatrain have developed into a tour de force within the alternative rock genre, melding the best elements of 'modern' rock with post grunge undertones, resulting in a refreshingly unique sound within an over familiar musical genre. After such a brief lifespan of only three albums, 'Live' (the band's third for Forefront) proves to be Grammatraln's swan-song. Recorded at last year's Christmas Rock Night in Hagon, Germany, 'Live' spans both Forefront releases, with five songs originally on lonely House' ('95) and 'Flying' ('97) respectively, plus a cover of Larry Norman's classic "Six O'Clock News". This aptly captures Grammatrain's raw edge, demonstrating the fact that the band are just as tight on stage as they are in the studio; with great renditions of such classics as "Pain", "Flying" and "Lonely House", being deftly reproduced. All credit due to the ICC team for doing a sterling job of capturing Grammatrain's sound on location, as well as Pete Stewart's skills in mixing the album, resulting in a clearly defined live set that suffers only in it's brevity. A fit­ting end, indeed, to a band who will be sorely missed.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.