Album Review: The Grunts, Cult Before Country

Together for eight years, the Cork outfit are heavily influenced by ‘80s and ‘90s indie rock.
But on Cult Before Country – an album bringing together material previously released on EPs with a set of new tracks – they moderate their raw, rocking sound with gentler, almost countrified flavours.
The album opens with ‘Cult Before Country’ and the title-track has a psychedelic, atmospheric, almost Arabian feel. There are hints of Neil Young and Jefferson Airplane’s ‘White Rabbit’, and it meanders along until the guitars and vocals are pushed up a notch. ‘Iberiana’ feels like a dream-inspired alt-rock tune reminiscent of early U2, but scratch the surface and the lyrics harbour darker thoughts of disembodied voices lost at sea. In contrast, ‘Into Submission’ is a driving, frenetic ball of energy.
‘NYC Woman’ is powerful stuff, but it suffers by comparison because it isn’t as well recorded as the opening three tracks. ‘The Guy That Stalked You Has Become The President’ – great song title! – also has a U2-esque quality. But the recording of both it and the San Francisco psychedelia-flavoured ‘The Ballad Of Ed Gein’ does the songs a disservice. Granted, they’re fantasticly named, but the sound quality also has less cut-through. The record bursts back to life with ‘If It Feels Good Do It’, which channels ‘Paint it Black’ over pounding drums and raging guitars to superb effect and the Doors-like ‘Coming Into San Francisco’.
The relative roughness of the recording means that Cult Before Country is an album with stuttering momentum. But the rock ‘n’ roll fire and the power of the music are unquestionable. It’d be great to hear what these guys could do with a decent budget.

The Grunts' Cult Before Country is out now!