GULCH

If you're into the metallic stoner boogie rock of bands like BRAND NEW SIN and wonder what BLACK LABEL SOCIETY would sound like without so many pinch harmonics, Kansas beardos GULCH will be right up your alley. Their stock in trade is burly riffs, workingman's solos and heavy, catchy songs steeped in the classics and sung with rough-hewn gusto. On their debut, "Uphill Both Ways", they're poised to make a name for themselves among those who like a little shitkicker groove with their metal.

Vocalist/guitarist Dean Book's throaty yowl is somewhere along the lines of a more tuneful, less constipated Kirk Windstein (CROWBAR),and his scratchy melodies keep things grounded while adding personality to the GULCH sound. The rhythms are tight and propulsive, keeping things simple and in the pocket and making the groove the centerpiece of each song. GULCH are all about the arena-sized hooks, with big choruses and hummable guitar lines — this is beer drinking, fist waving heavy and rock and roll with just enough underground grit to keep a tough edge. How convincing are they at rockin' the house? They close with a Nugent cover and if you didn't know it, you'd think it was another GULCH original.

Not every song is a keeper, and the band's sound begins to get a little one-dimensional over the course of eleven tunes (Book faltering a little vocally on more demanding tracks like "So Much For Good Intentions"). But the foundation the band has laid here is an impressive one -- enjoyable on its own merits, and a sure sign of plenty of potential for the future. GULCH are at that point where lesser bands wither and fail -- making the jump from local heroes to the Herculean task of making an larger regional or national impression. With "Uphill Both Ways" as their stepping stone and calling card, GULCH should have no problem making the leap.