Guerrilla Monsoon are a punk band from England’s city of Birmingham, their new release Big City Plans is being released as a 10” vinyl, with two sides to the album which feature 4 songs.
The first side opens up to the song Flock, which kicks straight into the song with some up tempo beats and guitars. The riff is pleasant to listen to and is a complete contrast to the vocals which are incredibly harsh and not really in tune. The drums are well performed however they are very sharp and they cut off a lot.
Big City Plans is a catchy song with a mediocre-sized chorus that you’ll sing along to if you’re in the mood. The lead guitar riff is well executed and these impressive listener-friendly guitar riffs are the bands strongest asset. The drums can be impressive and maybe it’s a flaw in production but the cymbals sound very unnatural as they cut off without warning. It impacts the how the songs flow; writing fluid songs is something the band need to work on as the songs stop and start a lot.
Good Grief opens the second side of the LP and it’s a good way to open side B. The song is more fluid and the vocals are stronger. The quicker, more complex drums show off the drummer’s clear ability to play however the production doesn’t do him justice which is a shame. The drops and builds are weak and they definitely need to refine their writing skills. It’s a step in the right direction though, as the band just need a good producer to push them in a more impressive song writing direction because their musical talent is obviously there.
Believer opens and shows off the impressive bass that has been swamped throughout the majority of the LP. It combines the bands strongest elements, such as the chilled guitar riffs, quick complex drums and strong supporting bass lines. It’s one of the best written songs on the LP and I can see it being the single that gets some radio air time.
Overall, it’s not a bad LP, but it’s also nothing special. The band really need to work on their song writing ability and invest in a good producer who is willing to push the band to better themselves. Great foundations for a strong punk band, just lacking in some direction.
5/10
