GOUTS - Cheap Fridays (Album Review)

Release Date: May 30th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Cheap Fridays - Tracklisting

1.Ovnis 03:00

2.The Heaviest Wind 04:42

3.Canarian Fantasy 03:12

4.Battle Jacket Jesus 02:59

5.Hammer Attack 02:06

6.Phantasmagoric 03:40

7.Cloud Eater 04:16

8.Meat Waterfalls 06:27

Members

Josh, Toby & Julio

Review

Instrumental Sludge/Stoner Metallers GOUTS return from the HEAVY ROCK wilderness after a five year absence with their stunning album Cheap Fridays. Back then in 2020, the band were a hard-hitting duo but they’ve added new member Josh into the mix and they’re a killer power trio focusing on sounds inspired by the likes of TORCHE, FLOOR, Big Business, Mastodon and PELICAN. The sound is more dynamic and quite aggressive whilst never surrendering their Post-Rock / Doomgaze attitude heard on their debut EP Big Horse I Love You.

Cheap Fridays is quite progressive and has a similar creative journey to Post-Metal legends PELICAN with GOUTS adding a subtle Psych Stoner Metal edge to their music. The songs are catchy as hell with a Sludge Rock driving force allowing the band to play a wide assortment of different underground styles of HEAVY ROCK. GOUTS keep the melodies flowing and quite upbeat for the most part throughout the majority of the album. Even with this being an instrumental record, GOUTS offer the perfect balance of grounded music whilst elevating slightly further to a more fantastic sound. 

The production values are superb with every musical note and aggressive action being felt like a JACKHAMMER even within the quieter Post-Rock movements. The record is quite short lasting around thirty minutes in length but it’s what GOUTS does with that timeframe by creating an unpredictable and unstoppable force of DOOM-POP nature especially on tracks such as Ovnis, The Heaviest Wind, Hammer Attack, Cloud Eater and the standout final track Meat Waterfalls.

GOUTS have delivered an action packed record that gets straight to the point of delivering intense Sludge/Stoner Metal soundscapes and lush Psychedelic landscapes which are quite surreal and aggressively direct which will haunt you for days to come. 

Cheap Fridays is another superb record from GOUTS and I’m hopeful there won’t be another five year wait for their next release. As I’ve missed these guys in a BIG WAY. Check these guys out now when you get the chance. As this is quite frankly an outstanding record on every level.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

GOUTS - Big Horse I Love You (EP Review)

Release date: May 8^th 2020. Label: Various. Format: DD/Vinyl

Big Horse I Love You – Tracklisting

1.Bike Ride To The Bee Shrine 03:30

2.All Hail The Big Russian 04:14

3.Fuck Those Guys 02:06

4.Gulurtak My Black Metal Friend 04:18

5.Let's Get Kinski 04:18

6.Taylors Grace 03:26

Members

Julio Garcia - Drums

Toby Wrecker – Guitars

Review

Big Horse I Love You is the debut EP from Aussie Instrumental Sludge/Stoner Rockers – GOUTS – who feel partially inspired by bands such as TORCHE, FLOOR and BIG BUSINESS with their heavy riffs that can be quite sweet-natured one moment and violently aggressive the next. The EP runs over 20 minutes but there is a lot of fun to be had despite the short running time.

GOUTS add a cool sounding Progressive Noise Rock sound to this EP which allows the band to play a more Psychedelic style of Instrumental Sludge/Stoner Rock. Despite GOUTS being a two-piece, the band do show a lot of different styles of music on this album that reminds me of early-era TORCHE from start to finish.

The opening two songs – Bike Ride To The Bee Shine and All Hail The Big Russian – see GOUTS in highly confident form with their Post-Sludge Rock riffs having a cool build up of different strands of Sludge/Stoner Rock with the Psychedelic moments appearing towards the end of the song. You can hear some Post-Rock/Post-Metal influences coming more into focus especially on All Hail The Big Russian.

There is a lot more to GOUTS music that you don’t realise to begin with. As there is a lot going on in the background with the excellent guitars and drumming from Toby and Julio respectively. I know Toby primarily from his work with HOTEL WRECKING CITY TRADERS but this is the first time I’ve heard Julio drumming and he brings an intense style of drumming for Toby to build his riffs upon.

The EP is an exciting style of addictive Sludge/Stoner Metal which should keep the Stoner Rock/Metal masses entertained from start to finish. The EP truly comes alive when the band decide to play a more bolder and daring style of music especially on Fuck Those Guys and Gulurtak My Black Metal Friend.

Big Horse I Love You is an outstanding debut release from the band and I’ve heard there are plans to release a full length album in 2021. That’s one I’ll definitely be keeping a lookout for. As GOUTS are quite an exciting prospect especially if you’re looking for a kick-ass Instrumental Sludge/Stoner Metal Band with a few cool original and exciting ideas of their own.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Big Horse I Love You is available to buy digitally and on vinyl through the following labels: 

La Choza De Doe, Catábasis Records, Monasterío De Cultura, Noizeland Records and Pissjoy Records

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp