Sunday 15 September 2019

GURT - Bongs Of Praise (Album Review)



Release date: September 06th 2019. Label: When Planets Collide. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Bongs Of Praise – Tracklisting

1.Doctor Strangeleaf 02:13
2.Weed It and Weep 06:32
3.Rolling Stoned 04:15
4.Squidgy Black Slide 04:35
5.One Hit Wonder 06:08
6.The Joint of No Return 06:17
7.Gauze and Effect 04:18
8.Jazz Cabbage 01:03
9.Marijuarmchair 04:01
10.Bongs Of Praise 05:42

Members

Gareth Kelly - Growth - Mouth.
Rich Williams - Sedulurt - Riffmonster.
Dave Blakemore - Spice - Bassmaster.
Bill Jacobs - The Scorpion - Bashing.

Review

UK Doom/Sludge Rockers GURT are back with a new album and it’s a captivating affair with the band’s trademark sarcastic humour intact. This is perhaps the heaviest record that the band have released to date and the band don’t shy away from playing some of the bleakest and progressive sounds of their career.

The band have written a collection of superb sounding songs that once again sees the band’s deep love affair for the legendary NOLA based sound. The lyrics are one of the best things about this album. As the guys have written deeply humorous lyrics with against the brutal sounding grooves that all build to a hard rocking and easy-going Party based atmosphere.

The band are never going to win any awards for originality in regards to their music. Though, they could actually win awards for the perhaps cleverest and most insane song titles you’re likely to hear this year. If you’re looking for a socially aware album that asks hard-hitting questions, then you better look elsewhere. As GURT release music just to purely entertain and they exceed on all levels on this album.

This album is very much a team affair with lead singer Gareth Kelly delivering his trademark style of vocals superbly well from start to finish. The other members Rich, Dave and Bill plays fantastically bleak sounding high-voltage music for Gareth to preach to an ever appreciative audience.

Standout songs include – Doctor Strangeleaf, Weed It And Weep, Rolling Stoned, The Joint Of No Return and the excellent final song BONGS OF PRAISE.

The name of this album is inspired by a UK TV Religious Programme called Songs Of Praise. I never thought in a million years that I would use Songs Of Praise in one of my articles though here we are. Though with GURT anything is possible. This is the band that released Christmas covers of Little Donkey and Walking In The Air.

Anyway - this album has everything you want from GURT. Brutal sounds and a wicked sense of humour from start to finish.

Words by Steve Howe

You can buy BONGS OF PRAISE here via When Planets Collide.

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for all of the details.


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