Another day, another Dundalk band. This time it’s local punk mob The Gurriers and their latest release (which has been out for a few weeks – I’m sorry but I’ve been busy) the "Kamikaze" EP.

The thing about The Gurriers is, on all their previous recordings, they’ve seemed to borrow a lot from early Green Day. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but let’s face it, why would you want a copy when the real thing is alive and well and singing songs about St. Jimmy? Fortunately The Gurriers have decided to stop ripping off Green Day, and instead rip off a bunch of other bands. Actually that’s a bit harsh, but it’s what you think when you first hear opener 'Why Did I?' It’s street punk in a Rancid vibe (they even get local singer/songwriter Jinx Lennon to perform a little spoken word bit, and he sounds a good deal like Tim Armstrong when he’s doing it.) 'Not Yet' lets the boys indulge in a little reggae. It’s fair to say that no one listens to Gurriers tracks for their lyrical content, but they were actually pretty good here.

Next, they try their hands at hardcore. No kidding, straight up old school hardcore. And as a BIG Minor Threat fan, I was quite happy with what I heard. 'You Will Die' is lovely fast-paced piece of music, and is a great example of drummer Colin Berrill doing for The Gurriers what Travis Barker did for Blink 182. What can I say, the man knows how to drum.

'Back On The Alcohol' is a bit of a letdown after that, but is a classic Gurriers track, dealing as it does with broken hearts and drinking to compensate. I’ve said some bad things in the past about Dundalk’s Tumbleweed recording studio, but having heard how good the production is on this CD I’ve come to realise that it’s not the studio that’s the problem, but the bands that play in it. The Gurriers have been slogging about now for years, and can therefore knock out more than a decent tune, as anyone who saw them supporting Good Charlotte on the 29th March will no doubt tell you. If you’re a big fan of all things punk rock (we don’t say pop-punk ‘round here, boy) and you happen to be going to the Oxegen festival this year, I’d get there early as the band will be opening the New Band Stage on Saturday. With any luck I’ll see you there.

Picture from www.thegurriers.com

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