After a couple of demoes, Franch quintet Gut-Scrapers are here with their debut album, and in many ways it is like a blast of fresh air through the scene. Musically these guys have been listening to classics such as The Faces, Mötley Crüe, Mott The Hoople and mixed it up with AC/DC and a huge dose of attitude. They start with “Cheers Motherfuckers” and from then it is a righteous party as they swagger through 40+ minutes of music that is designed to be played live. I would love to see these guys in concert, as I can imagine that it would be a riot as this is metal for the masses, boogie for the boys, all about having a blast and taking no prisoners.
No, it’s nothing new, and it certainly isn’t anything fancy, but it feels honest. That honesty pervades everything they are doing and it wouldn’t surprise me to discover that this was recorded live in the studio with no overdubs as it just has that feel about it. Thierry Pitarch has taken singing lessons from the ‘swallow whisky and broken glass’ school of Dan McCafferty but in a lower key, and the gruffness really works with the band. There is a clarity and spontaneity that is often missing from music, and there is the real feeling that these guys are out there doing exactly what they want to do and if you don’t like it then it’s your problem. Sure, some of the lyrics may not be exactly Tolstoy or politically correct, but this is a party band, nothing more or less.
I’m not sure what label this has been released on, as it was sent to me as a download by a promotions company, but I do know that it is available on Bandcamp and if you want some fun rock and roll then this is the place.
