On 7th June 2024, Party Riff Doom Merchants, GURT, released their brand new album 'Satan ETC' via When Planets Collide.
It's been five long years since "party doom" riff merchants GURT released their last crushing opus "Bongs of Praise", now on June 7th 2024 they are set to return with their latest, crushing-ist opus yet, "Satan Etc".
A lot has happened in the band members lives since 2019, some suffered tragic losses, some welcomed new life into the world, some grew awesome skullets. Not to mention that global event in 2020 that kept us all inside.
Left to ferment in frustrating circumstances has led to the new material being more aggressive and abrasive than previous offerings, whilst still retaining that signature GURT silliness and swagger.
When asked about the influences and inspiration behind this album vocalist Gareth Kelly states:
"it's about survival in the very fucked up world we live in, but of course delivered in the bands tongue in cheek style".Drummer Bill Jacobs says " we wanted shorter punchier songs to go with the new aggro vibe, nothing to do with us being older and fatter" whilst bassist David "Spicy" Blakemore enigmatically adds "I've been listening to lots of Slavic hardcore!".
Delving into varied topics, from bodged vasectomies to the beauty of brown cars, from self pleasure on Arrakis to the wholesome matter of how damn much Gareth loves his kids, "Satan Etc" is the sound of the band ready to get back to doing what they love most: having a great big sludgy party with their rabid fans. PARTY DOOM HAS EVOLVED.
On first single ’Knife Fever’, vocalist Gareth Kelly comments,
“This song is simply about the sheer incompetence of the geriatric surgeon that operated on me, and best of all it was a fucking vasectomy! Simply harrowing, so much so, I wrote him a love letter in this song!”
During the cold and unforgiving British weather in January 2024 GURT once again took refuge in the legendary Monolith Studios under the watchful eye of Steve Sears (Gallows, Conjurer), to create this new selection of future hits! There the magnificent “Satan ETC” was born.
For the 5th time GURT have worked with Steve, having created EPs DIYMCA (2015), their split with Trippy Wicked ‘Guppy’ (2016), and both ‘Skullossus’ (2017) and their previous full-length opus ‘Bong of Praise’ (2019).
Gareth from GURT adds:
“Steve really knows how to get the best out of us and continues to act as a great producer when we are in the studio together, the banter and insults are strong and relentless, the vibe is always positive and he always comes up with a way of adding something unique to our sound, be it a unsuspecting Saxophone solo, to a full wind instrument orchestra, he is an absolute legend in the business!”.
The songs on “Satan ETC” have a much more aggressive feel and sound so much heavier than anything heard from the band before but they still have that GURT “swagger”.
When asking David ‘Spicy’ Blakemore what influences he had when writing the riffs for ”‘Satan ETC’” he simply commented:
“I’ve been listening to a lot more Slavic Hardcore!”.
Whether that sums up the sound for this new album or not is to be seen!
The lyrical content is vast in its concepts and more than albums before it is a direct comment around the dislikes and pure hatred of the world around Gareth and the band, in the usual sarcastic and tongue in cheek presentation! Everything from bodged vasectomies, to their simple delight in seeing brown cars on the road, are covered. But most songs on here are about the complexities of getting older and the troubles of life along the way (with a cheeky song about how much Gareth loves his kids thrown in to lighten the mood somewhat!).
“Satan ETC” is a statement of intent for a band that want to show that 5 years out of the game, only makes GURT more thirsty to have a damned good party with its rabid fanbase! ‘Party Doom’ can and has evolved!
Novacaine Rating: 10/10 "I've been getting into doom metal recently, and GURT has just made me a huge fan of the genre. If you've not heard Satan ETC, listen to it NOW!"
Stream 'Satan ETC': https://open.spotify.com/album/0AXz32wj09t6QlS8RfLsaW