HARD GANDHI E.P REVIEWS:"Elements of Mogwai with a diatribe surrounded by crushing guitar riffs"
Another end of 2023 release that I never got around to writing about was the December EP release from Peebles/Leith’s Gutterblood. Having impressed with their anti-coronation/smash the monarchy anthem with Bonnie Prince Bob Gardyloo earlier in the year and in it proving that they “mean it man” much more than Lydon and his increasingly disturbing right-wing leanings, The Hard Ghandi EP brought Gardyloo together with the EP’s title track. Hard Ghandi is a slow burner whose intro adds elements of Mogwai to the mix before launching into a diatribe soundtracked by crushing guitar riffs. The EP also
includes two updated versions of songs from their debut
self-titled album, Mr X and Old Town Young team, these tracks giving off a hard-edged blues/stoner/proto-punk vibe, Mr X including what feels like a nod to Arthur Brown, and the guitars on Old Town Young Team owing a debt to Tom Morello. The band were due to play a benefit for Palestine which had to be cancelled due to the ongoing gentrification of Leith, hopefully to be rescheduled soon. Gutterblood have another EP coming later this year.(The Ginger Quiff - Scotland) "Beautiful slice of a much too unknown band"
The Scottish GUTTERBLOOD have stayed true to their message by releasing this 10" on transparent vinyl with two new and two re-mastered songs from their debut album. Musically the trio still lies deep in the peacepunk of the eighties with two new songs and spoken word interludes. A heavy Scottish accent bears witness to this, with both texts being spoken. Gardyloo is a traditional outstretched middle finger in the direction of the new king and with no typical British reluctance. And why would they be reluctant because GUTTERBLOOD are Scottish. In addition to bands like CONFLICT or CRASS, the band from near Edinburgh have definitely heard RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, at least that's what it reminds us of every now and then. Beautiful slice of a much too unknown band. 8/10
(Ox Fanzine - Germany)
"Gutterblood’s release carries a timeless message and a sound that transcends temporal boundaries"
On New Year’s Day 2024, Scottish band Gutterblood unveiled their latest EP, ‘Hard Gandhi,’ accompanied by a poignant and entirely self-produced music video. While the year has just begun, Gutterblood’s release carries a timeless message and a sound that transcends temporal boundaries. In this exclusive interview with Gutterblood, the band shares insights into their creative process, the challenges they face as a DIY outfit, the importance of Scottish accents in their music, and their hopes for the future. They also delve into the themes of addiction and mental health and provide valuable advice for those who may be struggling with similar issues.
The EP’s title track, “Hard Gandhi,” takes listeners on a dramatic journey through the tumultuous psyche of a man teetering on the brink of collapse. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of an internal battle between a life of addiction and newfound sobriety. This gripping exploration highlights the fragility of his existence, devoid of clarity and consciousness, and always on the precipice of darkness.
‘Hard Gandhi’ is a vehicle for a critical message. Gutterblood’s DIY video for the title track was created on a shoestring budget, filmed using just two phones and a GoPro. The band’s mission is to draw attention to men’s mental health issues, urging everyone to support their friends and family, especially during challenging times.
With lyrics that touch on addiction and mental health, Gutterblood’s music delves into profound and significant themes. Their decision to focus on these issues reflects the harsh realities of their home country, Scotland, which faces significant challenges in these areas.
Read full interview HERE
(Idioteq - Poland)
"this is a great EP that
has a lot of important things to say"
Hard Gandhi is the new EP from Scottish Punk/Doom/Stoner Rockers Gutterblood.
Gutterblood are joined by guest vocalist Tom McFadyen for this release who brings a subtle Post-Punk/Gothic Rock energy and charm to this EP. The meaning of the band’s name Gutterblood is by Scottish definition: 'A low person of inferior breeding. One who's blood has run in no cleaner canal than the gutter. One of the rabble'.
The EP is quite politically charged and experimental which follows a similar path to their excellent 2021 debut full length album. The songs don’t shy away from Political undertones of modern day society when spliced with aggressive Punk fuelled Doom/Stoner Metal that is played with jagged purpose and menace. There’s a jazzy Psych Rock attitude which matches the spiky Scottish based lyrics with the vocals promptly being Spoken Word.
Hard Gandhi is the type of release that could only come from the underground scene as Gutterblood take aim at a wide range of multiple targets within the short running time of the EP. However, Gutterblood and Tom McFadyen always have something interesting to say though the music is a constant breath of fresh air with how they play a cool sounding blend of “STOP & START” movements within the dark melodies contained on each of the tracks.
Standout tracks are Hard Gandhi and Gardyloo with outstanding moments of bleak humour being included at the right time. Perhaps inspired by Irvine Welsh and Ian Rankin with their hard-hitting slices of Scottish life which I applaud everyone for including.
Hard Gandhi does have some wicked Psych Rock moments on the later stages of the EP on tracks such as Mr X and Old Town Young Team. Both tracks show a different side to Gutterblood before they return to their Doomed Out world.
Overall, this is a great EP that has a lot of important things to say but one that also delivers great amounts of instrumental sounds that leave you wanting to hear more.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
(Outlaws of the Sun - England)
"they have created a fantastic record which is musically zealous"
Scottish band Gutterblood have released their incendiary New EP, Hard Gandhi. Guests include Tom McFadyen and Bonnie Prince Bob.
On Gutterblood's brilliant new EP, Hard Gandhi, the titular character confronts the echoes of his addicted past against the backdrop of newfound sobriety. Neither realm offers perfection or completeness, failing to provide the clarity and consciousness he fervently seeks. While he projects an unyielding exterior, inwardly, he remains detached from the world, teetering on the edge with just one drink separating him from the abyss.
The topically relevant EP aspires to shed light on our individual mental health issues, urging everyone to be vigilant for their friends and family during the most challenging times we have found ourselves in recent years.
Born in 2019, Gutterblood, a band hailing from Peebles and Leith in Scotland, merges blues, indie, doom, punk, politics, and prog. Recorded at 16OHM studios in Glasgow and mastered by John McBain (Monster Magnet, Queens of the Stone Age), Hard Gandhi boasts contributions from various special guests while employing samples and groove-driven dynamics. The guests included come with varied backgrounds from acts like Oi Polloi, In Decades Decline, Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers, the Process, and Sufferinfuck. Together they have created a fantastic record which is musically zealous and politically charged.
(New Releases Now - U.S.A)
"McFadyen rides the rhythm to lead you on a grim, menacing stream of consciousness that touches on class and narcotics"
Mixing up a Sabbath inspired heavy rock attack with noodling emo interludes, the seething anger on this 4 track EP is the music of the politics of the gutter says Nathan Brown.
The slow creeping intro to title track Hard Gandhi features noodling little whispers from the guitar as the rhythm section repeats a riff, in an approach that the likes of Fugazi are experts at. Then after a big guitar downstroke, feedback punctuated by drum and bass stabs leads into the main chuggy song. This Gutterblood tune ranges between a heavy rhythmic attack that channels the Sabbath inspired rock attack of Rage against the Machine or Prong and a more subdued head nodding interlude with a touch of emo crossing over into math rock. Guest vocalist Tom McFadyen rides the rhythm to lead you on a grim, menacing stream of consciousness that touches on class and narcotics in a way that Edinburgh’s favourite son Irvine Welsh would probably approve of.
The second song on this EP is a welcome return of the mighty Gardyloo with vocals by Bonnie Prince Bob, which I declared “Single of The Year” back in April and makes the Pistols’ God Save The Queen sound like a tame Royalist ballad. For a fuller appreciation of the genius of this inspired anti-monarchy tirade in which the rabble “smashed the carriage windaes in and dragged the bastard out.
Mr X starts off with echoey and quiet guitar, again building in intensity as the song progresses. Head nodding rhythm and atmospheric echo laden guitar are joined by synths as the song rises to a crescendo. After this extended intro the main song kicks in and there is again more than a touch of RATM with some bluesy guitar licks and string bending. Vocals lurking beneath the surface are provided by Mr X.
Old Town Young Team is another downtuned heavy head banger of a tune that should satisfy any lover of early Sabbath. The spoken word voiced by Norman Silver manages to combine reminiscence with social commentary and class analysis.
This EP conveys a general seething anger, be it the upbeat protest ranting of Gardyloo or the heavy riffage and dour life reflections of the other 3 tracks. I’m sure I remember some uptight politician declaring in the 80s that the anarchist zine/paper Class War was “the politics of the gutter”. With similar politics across this release I’d be tempted to say that Gutterblood are the music of the politics of the gutter. As noted in my last review of these rabble rousers, Gutterblood is a Scots term meaning ‘A low person of inferior breeding. One whose blood has run in no cleaner canal than the gutter. One of the rabble’. Look down your nose at this rabble all you like, but as Class War used to say “Behold your future executioners.
(Louder than War - England)
GARDYLOO SINGLE REVIEWS:"Gardyloo is a bitter reckoning with the British royal family"GUTTERBLOOD are supported on the mic by
artist Bonnie Prince Bob and “Gardyloo” is a bitter reckoning with the British royal family. In terms of sound, it reminds me of a combination of old British anarcho bands like CONFLICT, ICONS OF FILTH, CRASS and even RAGE AGAINST MACHINE. The anarchopunks OI POLLOI stay true to their Prog-Oi style here too. “We Must Resist” addresses the climate catastrophein the style of their songs “Nuclear waste” or their album “In Defence Of Our Earth”. Combative street punk with a catchy tune and a Greta Thunberg speech at the end. Driving and hard hitting! (Ox Fanzine - Germany)
"a hard reckoning with King Charles pressed onto vinyl"
The new King Charles & British royal family are still in power and the 21st century has arrived. Although the Empire still exists there are plenty of critics who deny the legitimacy of the blue blood clan in question.
They deny it and view it as an anachronistic institution from yesteryear that should be dismissed. Anti–Royalism particularly thrives in the areas “outside of England” and above all in Scotland - home of GUTTERBLOOD.
The band joined forces with Edinburgh artist BONNIE PRINCE BOB to present 'Gardyloo' and to have a hard reckoning with King Charles pressed onto vinyl. The song title goes back to an expression that was used during the Middle Ages in Scotland to warn passers-by that someone is throwing trash from their window onto the street below.
While GUTTERBLOOD expressed their antipathy towards “their” new king the title of Ol POLLOI’s We Must Resist says it all: “The forest are all burning and the oceans rising. Another catastrophe of our own devising. Unlimited growth? Earth's resources are finite, resist the systems madness - this is your and my fight. The most important decade in all human existence in defense of our Earth - mobilise resistance.” Striking words accompanied by powerful Oi punk.
Unfortunately the Split-7" finishes way too soon so there is also a code that you can use to download additional live tracks.
(Legacy Magazine - Germany)
"The track holds no bars in insults nor imagery"
And now enter Scottish punk band Gutterblood, with special guest Bonnie Prince Bob, with their contribution to the topic at hand.
They have released “Gardyloo“, possibly the most anti-royal, and certainly the most combative of the lot, on the eve of King Charles III’s coronation.
The track holds no bars in insults nor imagery, labelling the current king a “Royal fool”, an ”inbred son“, and a “mollycoddled imbecile festooned in golden shite“. His supposed ills are called out as well, implicating that, because “Diana rode an Arab“, he “bumped her off in Paris“, and his ties to Jimmy Saville and Rolf Harris are explicitly mentioned.
Bonnie Prince Bob then lyrically reminds His Majesty just why, is his opinion, the royal family is disliked so much by the dispossessed of this country: “Your riches come from workers’ toil and that’s why you’re despised“. The king, in an ongoing scene within the song, has his royal entourage rushed and is then led to the guillotine and promptly beheaded, thereby allowing Bonnie Prince Bob a triumphant sense of justice.
(MXDWN Magazine - England)
"crunching, screeching riffs, throbbing bass and thunderous drums"
It would appear that someone has crawled into my head and somehow extracted everything I wanted to say to Old Sausage Fingers Charlie and Co about the monarchy and the utterly unnecessary opulence that will be on show shortly, rubbed in the faces of all the forelock-tugging, genuflecting subjects who are probably up to their necks in debt as they line the streets bowing and scraping, with nary a thought for their own self respect as the new (#NotMy) King sneers at them from his gold plated carriage. I’m not a monarchist in case you didn’t realise. Vive le Republic…
There is certainly no subtlety on show on Gardyloo, with crunching, screeching riffs, throbbing bass and thunderous drums underpinning a venomous lyric that doesn’t hold back on its seething vitriol and dark humour, spat out in disdain. But then, who needs subtlety when you’ve got something to get off your chest. Along with songs like Pele’s Raid the Palace and the following tune from Shock & Awe, this will form part of my playlist for next weekend. If there was any justice this anarchic romp would be number one on the weekend of the C********n, but then again, look what the establishment did to God Save the Queen… Utterly cathartic.
(The Ginger Quiff - Scotland)
"Forget Single Of The Week. This is Single Of The Year"
A take down of the new monarch by this Scots rabble makes the Pistols’ God Save the Queen sound like a tame Royalist ballad. Forget Single Of The Week. This is Single Of The Year. Play it at your neighbours on 6th May
The Scots definition of Gutterblood is ‘A low person of inferior breeding. One who’s blood has run in no cleaner canal than the gutter. One of the rabble’ The Hoi Polloi, you might say. Despite a recent survey showing that most people are not interested in the coronation, you can be sure it will be rammed down our throats. Gutterblood and Bonnie Prince Bob are the voice of the dispossessed speaking back against the tide of pro-monarchy media coverage.
Back in 1977, the Sex Pistols caused outrage with God Save the Queen. I love that single and will pull it out of the singles box, along with Class War’s Better Dead than Wed, on any royal celebration. But compared to Gardyloo, GSTQ is as sedate as a Royal Garden Party. Gardyloo is enough to cause the entire Express and Daily Mail readership an outbreak of mass apoplexy. We can but hope this song will reach the dizzying heights on the pop charts that the Pistols did. And if there is a Rod Stewart come back single at number one we know there was a right royal stitch up.
Gardyloo has at its core a tirade against the new King by Bonnie Prince Bob. This is delivered over a chuggy, rhythmic tune that is reminiscent of cross over acts in the 90s that fused metal, hip hop and punk – the sort that used to come with a Parental Advisory Explicit Lyrics warning. You’d need a hundred of those stickers to deal with the heroic levels of expletives delivered in this song. I also sense some Scots pride in challenging the English crown when they pastiche the Jacobite folk song “Charlie Is My Darling” to great effect.
Even the most sweary Republican couldn’t match the diversity of bile being spat at the monarchy in Gardyloo. I take my hat off. I know what I will be playing while the Royalists pass round the red white and blue jelly at their street parties.
(Nathan Brown - Louder than War - England)
ALBUM REVIEWS:
"The band has no regard for
losses,always daring to do something unprecedented and something that has never been
done before..."GUTTERBLOOD have only existed since 2019, although the musicians involved have experience in bands such as Oi Polloi, In Decades Decline, Sufferinfuck and the Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers.
The group mix elements from the fields of doom/stoner, punk, indie and then progress these into a unique independent brew, always with a strong political note. In order to convey this in an appealing way various guests contributed vocals and spoken word. Significantly the album ends with the partisan anthem 'Bella Ciao'.
Although the record comes across as motley in parts GUTTERBLOOD know how to steer these influences in a logically comprehensible direction. Especially on the intense 'Blues for the Abyssopelagic which is completely instrumental, the band demonstrate their skill to create a captivating, thrilling and rousing mood. Progressive here does not mean technical, self-indulgent fiddling but instead a sense of unrestrained experimentation.
This stylistic openness has so far attracted some positive reviews from the music press but it remains to be seen whether GUTTERBLOOD's thoroughly original sound will be successful in the long term.
Even though not completely homogeneous and convincing across the board, the music of the Scots leaves a lasting impression. The band has no regard for losses, always daring to do something unprecedented and something that has never been done before... "
(Legacy Magazine - Germany)
"And if GUTTERBLOOD deserve one thing alone, it would be a dancing and seething audience that has
one thing in common: the will to self-determination and freedom."I hate it when I have to describe an indescribable band again. And it is precisely in this category that the Scottish trio GUTTERBLOOD falls who after three years of existence now present their debut album. I'll coin the term Peacepunk 2.0 here, because on the album you will find many politically motivated combative spoken word passages, as bands like CONFLICT or CRASS have used.
Musically, the songs consist of a casual mixture of doom, blues, acoustic, Dub or simple grooving rock. Sometimes the guitar reminds a little bit of CLUTCH and the groove of early NOMEANSNO or CULTURE SHOCK, which would certainly not be a bad reference, but it’s the mixture that does it here.
And if GUTTERBLOOD deserve one thing alone, it would be a dancing and seething audience that has one thing in common: the will to self-determination and freedom.
8/10 (Ox Fanzine - Germany)
"I recommend you take yourself awaysomewhere quiet that you canimmerse yourselves in what is a aural and lyrical treat."They claim to be a mostly instrumental band but when you check out their debut album you'll see that there are lyrics aplenty (many of them well chosen samples).
The debut album is Self Titled, it was released last December (though the cd version is out on Thurs 16th March) and it's a record you can easily lose yourself in.
Their sound brings to mind both Mogwai (rich, classy instrumentation) and Benefits (spoken word monologues of a political nature but less abrasive in tone). For your first listen can I recommend you take yourself away somewhere quiet that you can immerse yourselves in what is a aural and lyrical treat.
(Just Some Punk Songs - England)
"All of this makes the whole
thing even more special and independent"The fact that this experimental Scottish trio specialise in the fusion of blues, doom and post-rock is evidence enough of a somewhat unusual approach immediately earning them sympathy points against the daily flood of generic one-size-fits-all music.
Gutterblood are also politically ambitious on their debut album and rely more on samples as a statement and sound sources in their argumentation, rather than conventional vocal arrangements (even if there are occasional original spoken word outbursts here). All of this makes the whole thing even more special and independent.
This form of underdog attitude coupled with a healthy sense of tradition for
tonal Xerox Art is a rare and welcome middle finger to any musical or social
establishment.
(Metal Hammer - Germany)
"A miraculous debut from Gutterblood that goes in all directions."
More and more bands are using spoken word to replace singing in music
and Yard Act, SQUID, Dry Cleaning and many others have made us feel
accustomed to it.
Gutterblood seem
to be largely influenced by Public Service Broadcasting,
who used historical soundscapes on their early work. But the Scottish band
try to give that formula its own twist in more ways than one.
Members of Gutterblood come from different musical backgrounds and
this can be heard on their eponymous debut. The seven songs on this
record repeatedly lead us past prog rock, metal and punk. Repeatedly,
because the roller coaster goes round and round so make sure that you are well restrained.
The band’s sound
is without exception raw and direct. But a great
production ensures a full sound that is sometimes embellished with a
Hammond organ and accompanied by great dynamics. They regularly
switch from lo-fi to heavier styles without much ado, where the difference
in volume can be felt in the bones. The album leads us into to tempo
changes that occur so often, after a while they demand a lot of patience
for those who are not used to this. And for those people there is always the instrumental blues-like Not Charity, a pearl of a redeeming quality.
The other thread running through the album is spoken word, an impressive mix of very different audio fragments and appropriate vocal guest contributions.
These elements are
sometimes so surprising that at first you don't know
whether you're dealing with a historical news clip, a passage from a
dystopian audiobook or an acted account in the recording studio. And here,
too the atmosphere is sent in all directions, from cosy to extremely
capricious.
An artistic debut from a very interesting band.
(Da Music Magazine - Belgium)
"Indeed, poetry it is. Politically inspired declamations of anger and frustrations"
It’s mastered by John McBain. Should we start with that? Gutterblood hails from Scotland, where they apparently have managed to produce this most weirdest of stoner crust, doom punk poetry albums one might ever lay ears on…
Indeed, poetry it is. Politically inspired declamations of anger and frustrations; the constantly growing gap and more. All propelled by fast paced grungy drums and gritty riffs…
Straight from the gutter indeed!"
(Stoner Hive - Netherlands)
"These guys aren't afraid to go in many directions and unsettle their audience"
From Scotland comes this rock trio with an album that's somewhere between an LP and an EP, but frankly it's not the length that strikes us.
We like it because it has a flow, there are no classic rock patterns i.e. verse-chorus-chorus where the song inevitably ends in a fade out. With Gutterblood there are so many changes that even in the first two tracks alone you could fit 5 or 6 songs.
These guys aren't afraid to go in many directions and unsettle their audience, but sonically they do so while staying within well-marked rock boundaries, sometimes sympathising with grunge, in other cases recalling some heavy metal echoes as in Bones, Flesh and Broken Dreams.
The flow continues throughout the album and the variety of ideas can be heard throughout; In Paper Kites they reminded me a bit of the impetuosity of Rage Against The Machine, while Not Charity is a more compact instrumental track that in the grunge era would have created more than one explosion.
With Blues for the Abyssopelagic, we seem to travel to New Orleans and those dusty sounds that later lead to sludge: the impetuosity is there, but here the musical texture changes and pushes us forward in an almost jam session-like way, giving us plenty of watts.
Gutterblood prefer instrumental music and spoken word, powerful riffs and
pressing rhythms. They are trying to bring back a certain vision of grunge
contaminated with a dirty heavy approach. And all with some great ideas.
(Rock Garage - Italy)
"These are all great tracks with a little something for everyone"
A very impressive mix of doom, blues and punk from this local, instrumental 3-piece. I love the features/samples of Bonnie Prince Bob, among others, giving a stark and hearing reflection on the state of Scotland.
The sample of BPB is from a favourite video of mine, highlighting the specific issues of class division in the city of Edinburgh. With the huge impending doom instrumentals behind it, I cannot be not fond of it.
These are all great tracks with a little something for everyone, classic metal riffs paired with properly dark and droney distortions. It’s not the largest of heavy rock releases but still a great listen from a very small, local(ish) band.
(Fatal Noise - Scotland)
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