Guttercats “Eternal Life”

When we reviewed the last Guttercats release we remarked on how they brought a sound that walked on both the seedier and darker side of life. Whilst the title of this new release may offer up greater hope and light, it still treads those dark streets. That’s evident from the outset with the gloomily exotic “Wild Animal”. As the title suggests, the song tends to prowl along. Similarly, tracks like “Dagger In My Heart” and “If I Had A Loaded Gun” have a sense of mystery and tension to them.

Certainly with songs like “Know Your Roots” and “Eternal Life” you can still almost feel the presence of fallen greats such as Thunders and Bators (if those names mean nothing to you then maybe this isn’t the band for you). However, there is also a wider sense of sophistication to a track like “Farewell” which suggests the additional influence of Jim Morrison and the Doors.

Even amongst the darkness there are also glimpses of a punkier/rockier attitude in “Keep The Flame” (although it does also has a very Krieger esque guitar tone). Whilst “Dark Room” switches from gothic, slightly industrial verses to an almost ‘pop’ chorus.

This is another fine release which will appeal to those with a love for the more gothic edge of the sleaze rock scene. It perhaps doesn’t quite match the unusually warm and sunny weather we’ve had more recently in the UK . So it may be one to buy now and treat yourself to a listen, with a bottle of red, on an autumnal or winter evening!