After premiering their recent video for “Welcome to Fucktown”, it would have been rude not to review the other three tracks on Gutlocker’s new EP, Cry Havoc! And we’re not rude here (much), so review it we have.
Cry Havoc! is four tracks of harsh, tearing, soul-searing metal. Craig McBrearty’s vocals sound like they’re being torn from his lungs as he burns at the stake, while Dean Walker (drums) and Ben Rollinson (bass) lay down the groove for Peter Tucker to decorate with his hacksaw riffs. The whole EP has a very “treble-y” feel to it, with the guitars and vocals razor sharp and clear, as well as the snare being right at the front of the mix for added impact. You can hear the stick hit the drum skin with every one of Walker’s downstrokes.
The band are billed as groove metal, and despite the kind of sound you would expect more from a fledgling thrash band, their overall pace is definitely slower – more in the groove / stoner area in of speed, yet still as abrasive as a barbed wire loofah dipped in Scott 91748 Super-Duty Hand Cleanser with Grit (seriously, this stuff exists). “Stuck”, the third track, is about as fast as it gets and it’s still a head nodder rather than a violent head shaker. It also contains one of the weirdest bass-led solos, and a couple of sections which seem to encourage ballroom dancing. Hey, why not, eh?
It’s a shame there are only four tracks on here, as it’s a great blast for those pissed-off moments. A few more songs definitely wouldn’t have gone amiss, but this quartet will certainly do for now. I just need a t-shirt with “Welcome to Fucktown” emblazoned on it.
Cry Havoc! is out on April 20th
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