GUTS are a punk trio, new to the Toronto scene, whose sound is a bit difficult to pin down. This has as much to do with an overabundance as it does a lack of (or misplaced) focus. EP opener "Oh, Well That's Depressing" is undoubtedly the heaviest it offers, coming close to Every Time I Die at its most chaotic, but it's only "depressing" insofar as the song's sludgy influence dissipates after its conclusion.
"Metallica" sounds nothing like the titular band, instead preferring a basic hardcore punk sound that continues through "Eventually Embarrassed." The duo of songs starts out awkwardly, and that uncertainty bubbles to the surface throughout the better moments (the killing of the energetic big two-and-a-quarter minutes into "Metallica" being perhaps the biggest misstep). Still, at its best, this self-titled, live-off-the-floor offering shows promise for the trio, who now have time to soak in their home's excellent scene, expunge the questionable moments and exude the extraordinary hardcore the city is capable of.
(Independent)"Metallica" sounds nothing like the titular band, instead preferring a basic hardcore punk sound that continues through "Eventually Embarrassed." The duo of songs starts out awkwardly, and that uncertainty bubbles to the surface throughout the better moments (the killing of the energetic big two-and-a-quarter minutes into "Metallica" being perhaps the biggest misstep). Still, at its best, this self-titled, live-off-the-floor offering shows promise for the trio, who now have time to soak in their home's excellent scene, expunge the questionable moments and exude the extraordinary hardcore the city is capable of.