Guilt\'s Duncan Barlow
By Heather Butcher. Photos by Pete Strojny
Bardstown Ugly Box is the latest installment of Guilt. This album is a well-done representation of the band's sound, which is thick, thick, thick. If you can imagine a herd of elephants trampling through your bedroom, then you have an idea of what Guilt is like.
The sound of trampling elephants might also describe their volume, which is inherently loud. But in this case loud is necessary and thick is good. How else can one vent frustration in music. (Unless one is Tori Amos and can take a tragedy and tum it into a beautiful song.) But Guilt is not Tori Amos and not all of their songs are beautiful.
Guilt's songs are emotionally driven but they have a definite angry tone to them, as demonstrated by the lyrics "you justify my reasons to hate" in the song "Omega." That is only a sample of the say-what's-on-your mind lyrics in this album. Bardstown Ugly social roller coaster: anger, confusion, and some resolution (understanding things but not necessarily liking the situation).
Guilt's new album is loud, angry, thick and tells it like it is or the perception of how things are, which may deter some listeners. This angst-heavy music serves as a vehicle for ventilation. No devil-worshiping or baby-pillaging undertones here. Just a bunch of college kids upset with the way the world is..
Buy it and enjoy.