Gowl – “Blurrr”
Gowl- definition according to Urban Dictionary is a:
Derogatory tern for female genitalia often used in the South of Ireland to slag somebody or to emphasize irritation in relation to object.
Example: John I hate you!
Mary: You’re a fucking gowl!
I’ve learned you learn so very much by following metal bands.
In the regular dictionary is says gowl is a “loud cry, yell,” which might actually pertain to this music.
But I think you’re all bloody gowls playing with xatatax and if you think I’m gonna stand for more than one minute of this- you’d be correct.
Mainly, because this band is from Connecticut. Where the streets are paved with golden punk bands who spring to life, all the time, like jack rabbits in the spring. Damn Broads, Blastmat, M-13, Cry Havoc- we’ve found a lot of our favorite bands from this state.
Now, Gowl describe themselves as “grindcore/ harsh/ noisecore/ punk,” on their bandcamp and I’d add dissonant, experimental metal informed by doom and hardcore.
This is all good you say, but may we listen to some tunes? Sure, listen away.
An avalanche of sludge falls off a mountain as this song proceeds, “Behind every great woman crawls a man on his piss soaked knees/ Digging out his “nature” slithering to hand off his leash.” The song plows along like a leopard’s teeth shining in the jungle moonlight into the darkness of the bush. Like a leopards teeth into it’s prey. This is a bulldozer of sound, fury, stampedes, noise and venom.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/01 Voltage Drop.mp3|titles=Voltage Drop]“Adventures In Blues Traveling” starts with a colliding smash and rhythms with little spikes of feedback poking out around the blurred, distorted vocals. “Nightschool taught being refined meant cracking the cap/ Getting hot and numb/ Telling the brain to take five.” The drums slap at the side of the song like a police baton trying to restore order. The emotions and passion falls over itself. Disheveled looks, annoyed glances. Some guitar riffs placate and move it toward a final resting place.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/06 Adventures In Blues Traveling.mp3|titles=Adventures In Blues Traveling]A spasmodic, vibrating guitar riff leads us to the disintegration of “Raging Like A Heart/Attack.” A forceful rhythm that ebbs and flows with blurred vocals of passion and dislocation as the music ominously rages in the back. “You have no idea/It will end with a sharp pain.” This song pounds along like a heart thumping blood in a desperate attempt to bring life back to a world of death. “Thick sweat/ Heavy breath/ Ur inner earth awaits/ Wipe your eyes/ Ur merely of meat.”
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/05 Raging Like A Heart Attack.mp3|titles=Raging Like A Heart Attack]A churning, rolling, heavy rhythm starts off “Easy Rider” with the vocals all gargled and blurred like the previous ones. A guitar riff anchors the song down as the propulsion off the tune tempts to lead it astray. “With large grin a deal was made/ Manual stimulation/ Easy riding.” This is a less manic but still powerful and claustrophobic display of their world.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/07 Easy Rider.mp3|titles=Easy Rider]This is powerful stuff. This is no doubt, the most extreme band that has had its CD reviewed by TNB. Usually, metal music of this kind just leaves me scratching my head and wondering to Andy if it makes any sense to him.
But this is experimental music of the best kind. Uncompromising, not to be obscure or artful but to be blatantly brutal and decisive. This is the sound of being in the middle of a car crash, or a machine exploding along a factory floor, or people with bones and blood and dreams being crushed under the weight of life and society- physically intact but mentally scarred.
If that doesn’t sound pleasant to you…well, it isn’t. This is blues music but of the 21st century industrial kind. There is pain and sorrow in these songs but also excitement and freedom and passion. It’s like taking a trip to a new place where you learn more about the old place you left than the new.
This is exciting, raw, brutal, powerful music so don’t be a bloody gowl and check it out.
(Slimedog)
