EP Review - Gouranga : Nature's Knife (2012)

Bristol trio Gouranga’s self-confessed ‘grungecore’ act has seen them setting the live scene of their hometown alight since their debut in 2010, and now (at the halfway point of 2012) their EP ‘Nature’s Knife’ is set to arrive with just as much of a hurrah. For those who are familiar with the band, you’ll be aware that the boys take nothing but their music seriously, and while the noise they create on stage is clearly a joy to behold, it’s evident that there’s more to this group than meets the eye. It seems to be all about the good times, and you can’t get a more prominent reason than that for checking out a band. Gouranga create honest music, and while technically it isn’t the most astounding thing you’ll ever hear, it is full of nostalgia and a wealth of distorted madness.

Now, onto the EP, and ‘Nature’s Knife’ starts with staple Gouranga track ‘Solomon Grundy’ (which also happened to appear on the Live-Music-Scene 5th birthday compilation CD). The song begins slowly, building with picked guitar and thick bass, an understated sound being created by the band. When the track comes in full force with dirty grunge licks and filthy heaviness (drenched in Queens of the Stone Age stoner rock) it hits hard, but in places the vocals lack the impact that the instrumentals do. It’s unclear whether it’s production or ability that’s letting the side down, but something doesn’t add up. The bleak riffs combined with searing feedback provide an excellent backdrop and when the vocals stand up to be counted it really does work. Something else that doesn’t quite sit right with ‘Solomon Grundy’ is also the running time. The song has probably run its course by the time it drops back into another slow build, although when it reaches another slice of punky substance, it all feels worth it.

‘Dinosaur Apathy’ also starts slowly, with creepy picked guitar before yet more blistering riffs that drive on with real purpose. When the vocals arrive the momentum is momentarily lost but soon returns with a tornado of heaviness. The chorus has enough melody to make it utterly memorable and the extra dash of venom makes for an entertaining listen. The quiet parts provide an interesting variation to the band’s sound but it’s when they’re clattering their instruments at full force that it really works. The song slows considerably and it’s this part where the mind tends to wander. If the songs were streamlined slightly they’d have more of an impact, that’s for sure.

‘Petrol In Your Hands’ takes this advice with a short burst of anger, energy and punk rock. The grunge sound is still there, as are notes of various other genres (including metal). The non-stop guitars, distorted vocals and insane drums combine well for a tremendously intense song. Final track ‘Son of Sam’ unfortunately takes all that hasn’t work for ‘Nature’s Knife’ so far and multiplies it tenfold, leaving a sour taste in the mouth with what is a formidably underwhelming song. It throws around some interesting ideas but ultimately adopts the same quiet/loud route which feels unwelcome and overly familiar. The vocals again struggle against the sheer volume of the instrumentals and the overall outcome is a sheer disappointment, especially for those who have witnessed Gouranga tear up a stage.

It’s hard to be critical about a band that clearly love what they do, but this time it seems that ‘Nature’s Knife’ is more miss than hit. Gouranga release the EP at The Croft in Bristol on
Thursday the 28^th of June with support from Dead Poets, Knifeman and POHL.