Bang! The Gluts

Milan based garage rockers The Gluts released its fifth studio album about six weeks ago. To my surprise I found two older albums in my digital collection, probably swamped in the host of records released each week. Not so Bang!. Thanks to the singles 'Fight' and 'Cade Giù' The Gluts made it to the blog's single section and from there to an album post.

The Gluts is Marco Campana (guitarist), Nicolò J. Campana (singer), Claudia Cesana (bassist) and Dario Bruno Bassi (drummer). Together they operate somewhere in between alternative, garage and psych rock. In other words, a forceful, driving bass, a pounding drummer that never stops herding the rest forward and a guitar that excels in all sort of effects, from fuzz to shredding and back. Over it all Campana sings with a voice that has been on the road more than enough so to say. Together they sound tough, a little rough, yet likeable.

Just listen to how the album starts. A loud and tough intro tells the listener everything (s)he is about to receive. The Gluts is going to rock you, without providing a dozen overdubs to expand its sound. What you hear is exactly what you will get. I do not want to know how loud the guitar sounds in the studio/rehearsal room, on record it is more than impressive enough. It growls in the solos, as if it is about to eat a whole herd all at once.

The title song, is more subtle, in the verses that is. 'Bang!' shows how alternative rock bands in Europe are entwined. This could be a song by Tramhaus from Rotterdam. It may sound a little different, the intent of both bands is clear. Mixing alternative notes, e.g. the riff in the verses, with a great melody in the chorus. While rocking the whole time, including an invitation to dance as well. They both do not just follow the obvious, which sets them apart.

Single 'Fight' shows how good The Gluts is. Superb dynamics, showing the strength of the rhythm section, the guitar that goes from zero to a hundred in one second. This song shows how good this band really is. The sound is simply huge and yet only drums, bass, guitar.

Bang! is not all about shredding with a load of effects on the guitar. Anyone listening, and does not mind a bit of noise here and there, will find that guitarist Marco Campana was able to find a lot of riffs and melodies that adorn The Gluts' songs. With a little The Edge here and there, subtle riffs and a wall of guitar sound, Campana really varies in his sound, but when he goes he goes. There's no subtlety left in the final stages of his playing. At some point he just goes. It is in the more subtle passages that the rhythm section comes forward at its strongest. Just listen to 'Vampire, A Walk At Midnight' as a great example.

Bang! continuous beyond this song for five more songs, including the second and strong single 'Cade Giù'. The quality level of songs is simply constant ('Marble Cats'!), so you know enough. Bang! is a fine album and with The Gluts my list of Italian bands is getting longer and longer.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to and order Bang! here:

https://thegluts.bandcamp.com/album/bang