Hailing from Surrey, Gutlocker are a perfect example of the menacing noise brewing in the UK underground, occasionally bubbling to the surface to spew forth something so toxic it becomes impossible to ignore. As a case in point, To Be Alive is a debut album full of scything riffs, throat-ripping vocals and more than enough attitude to swagger on stage before (or even after, by the sounds of it) any number of the big-name bands that Gutlocker might call influences. More than that, it’s an inventive little beast, the band often kicking off in one direction, before employing some deft footwork and finishing somewhere completely different. Not that the energy levels ever drop – Gutlocker are a band forged in the live arena, and the energy levels here would put a five-year-old on a sugar rush to shame.
Gutlocker don’t fuck around. Get Them All In is a strong opening number that combines brutally groovy riffs with massed vocals, custom made for a mosh-pit singalong. Throw in a brief digression into System of a Down territory and you’ve got an absolute banger on your hands. Next up, the stabbing drama of Make My Day offers a full-tilt vocal performance from front man Craig McBrearty, a series of jackhammer riffs form Peter Tucker and, lest you get too comfortable, a number of rhythmic twists that make for an increasingly interesting listen. Steadfastly refusing to allow the audience any let up, the band unleash the punishing Sink Or Swim, another track that immediately evokes images of fists aloft in the pit, as Craig and guest vocalist Kieran Scott deliver the hook with all the unhinged delivery of a serial killer duo. It’s a short track, paced for maximum impact, before a creepy sample pushes us forward into the gruelling title track, a showcase for impressive drummer Deano Walker’s Skills. In comparison, Out Of Sight is a relatively straight-forward, thrash-infused belter, although Craig’s committed vocal performance elevates it above the herd, while bassist Ben Rollinson gets to enjoy some particularly gut wrenching moves here.
Opening with pummelling percussion, dirty bass and arcing feedback, S.F.S is a full-tilt number built around an elastic riff and delivered with absolute conviction. It’ll wreck necks live, and it’s hard to keep still even while listening at home. It even takes in a brief punk digression, as unexpected as it is welcome, and a good example of the versatility the band have at their fingertips. Changing things up once again, the crunchy, splenetic Absence Of Change has shades of Refused shot through its DNA, and it’s an awesome track, still heavy, but with a very different vibe to the menacing noise that swirls around it. The pace slows on the unexpectedly ethereal 872233, which proves to be the briefest of segues on the way to the next aural battering, in this case the vitriolic Once A Snake. With fast-paced percussion, Temporary Bliss offers a very different riffing style that helps to keep things interesting, even as the end looms into view, and then the epic Man Too Proud brings things to a close. Any signs that the band were going to end on a reflective note are dispensed with, the second the eerie introduction gives way to another full-pelt riff. That said, there is a greater sense of melody here, and the band display yet another aspect of their multifaceted sound as the track evolves through a number of twists and turns, taking in influences as diverse as System of a Down, Refused and even the short-lived Five Point O. It’s a hell of a conclusion to a hell of an album.
From the artwork and production to the songwriting and performances, it’s hard to find fault with Gutlocker’s deeply impressive debut. This is a powerful collection of songs destined to slam the mosh-pit into matchwood, and yet created with such imagination and dexterity that they are equally impressive when listened to in the more controlled environment of the home. In short, this is a cracking album that any metalhead should be proud to add to their collection. 9/10
