Doomgaze upstarts, Guro, are back with their debut album, hot on the heels of last year's EP "Beloved Static". Always experimental, Guro up the ante on "Year of the Rabbit". While last year's release was definitively an offering of doomgaze, "Year of the Rabbit" is markedly much harder to categorize under any specific genre. Elements of industrial, trap, EBM, and what I can only describe as experimental noise invade the soundscapes, creating a manic energy and an atmosphere of controlled chaos. That isn't to say that their signature brand of doomgaze isn't there, not at all. The first two tracks, "Hell Is Other People" and "Rabbit Bites" lean heavily into what we already know and love about Guro. "Rabbit Bites" in particular treads into waters that one could say are easily influenced by the likes of Deftones and even Les Discrets. Songs like "Tops & Bottoms" and "Aces Low" carry a more industrial tone, with the aggressive electronics and percussion, fuzz soaked guitars, and snarling vocals that echo legends like Gravity Kills. Closing track "Hey Fuko" brings in some danceable weirdness with a maniac's pace, and leaves you wondering what you just listened to, knowing that you want some more. While diversifying their approach, Guro has bravely released something that is completely, an pleasantly, unexpected. The element of surprise is what makes "Year of the Rabbit" so great to listen to.
Standout Tracks: "Rabbit Bites" and "Hey Fuko".
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