(label)
23 August 2015 (released)
23 August 2015
Broken Guru is one hell of a unique Indie act. They compress major energy in to each and every song, and the payoff for your time put in is huge. A song like Plight Of Imemine, is a great way to set the tone and pace of an album, and within seconds you can see that this bands influences are good choices. It is too easy to try and box a band in by referencing as many potential influences as one can, but if I were to mention a few, I would say that there is a bit of White Stripes here, a bit of U2 and a dose of dare-I-say Nirvana (that last one might be stretching it a bit far, but still, this is a raw and gritty sound worthy of Nirvana’s own honest method of music making).
This high-voltage trio has some great talent within it. Rich Guerzon himself, the man with the very catchy and stylish guitar playing, also does the appropriate vocals as well. There is some serious rock-cockiness behind the way he plays, and luckily for him it comes off honestly and not produced in studio. I have no doubt that Guerzon has some important things to say to his listeners, and that he doesn’t hold back any punches in the way he says them, ever. Ray Fiero takes on the drums/accompanying vocals with what seems like a mission to match or overtake Guerzon’s loud guitars, and it works out well for this bands rebel-anthem type sound. Lastly, and certainly not least, is Christy Fiero, the potent bassist/vocalist in the group. Fiero blends her lush vocals in with Rich’s seamlessly, and together they have something undeniably interesting to offer. They say that the bassist is the backbone of the band, and Christy gives this band a truly solid backbone to work with.
The title track Bent Up Halo had me hitting repeat multiple times, as if ever there was a song that gave you a dose of energy and inspiration to break out the Jack Daniels, this is it. Not a long song by any means, but a seriously fast and furious attitude for its all too brief journey. Of course that might be the very reason why the song plays out so well, as it doesn’t hold your hand by offering you the red or blue pill, it just shoves them both down your throat and says “Enjoy the ride”.
In conclusion, if you like rock, punk, grunge, or any type of guitar based sound, you should take a listen to this album, and when you do, make sure to play it on the loudest volume for full effect.
