Gurut- Every Broken Promise

Gurut is a one man black metal project from Montana. The project started up in 2009 and there has been a slew of demos recorded since then. Major signs of improvement have occurred since the past releases and it is very noticeable in the structures/overall sound of the tracks featured here. Gurut finally has managed to capture a solid atmosphere without sacrificing any of the songwriting and the results are excellent.

The demo opens with the beautiful instrumental "Every Broken Promise". The music truly speaks for itself and sucks you in fully from the very beginning. It is very depressing but somehow uplifting at the same time. This clean side of Gurut hasn't shown too often in the past but when it is wonderful things happen. Luckily this release dives a little deeper into the more melodic clean passages that make Gurut so appealing. Some of the clean elements in "Every Broken Promise" make a return at the end of the track "I've Failed You", and to top it off the closer "Home..." is also an acoustic instrumental. During the acoustic section on "Mere Belief" insanely loud and aggressive drums come in randomly and it clashes big time with the calm atmosphere. Somehow it works out well though and actually managed to get the heart racing.

The guitar playing is one thing that really makes Gurut an interesting listen. While the music is mainly black metal there is a ton of soloing throughout. This gives some of the tracks an almost upbeat feeling. These solos can get a tad sloppy at times but it tends to fit perfectly with the raw sound that Gurut produces. Mixing is a little odd on some tracks. The drums are very overpowering for the most part, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but it never detracts too much from the music. The vocals are drenched in distortion and end up sounding similar to Megiddo in many ways. There is little to no variation in vocal style but the vocals pretty much fall to the wayside since most of your attention is focused on the interesting fretwork and atmosphere.

Overall Gurut has improved quite a bit with this release. The songwriting has matured plenty and it just seems like everything that needed work before has been revamped. There is a solid mixture of acoustic and black metal passages heard here and it balances out well. This is definitely the best Gurut release yet and it is also the best starting point for those looking to get into the band. Any fans of black metal that aren't afraid to get melodic at times should give this one a shot. This release is packed full of emotion and the music truly does all the talking.

Gurut Interview!

Today I also did an interview with the band that occupies the other half of the Dawn Of Genocide split with Lys. Gurut plays a very personal form of black metal. Here we speak about the depression that led to Selbstmord's desire to make music and his past releases.


FF: How did Gurut come about?

Selbstmord: Gurut started in the December of 2009. This was when I was tired of seeing all of this positive and fake happy music around me, and decided to create something very dark. At first, the project was only taken half-way seriously, but then I went through a serious depression and Gurut is being taken VERY seriously now.

FF: So the music you release is a therapeutic thing for you?

Selbstmord: Yes, very therapeutic. I don't really make music for other people so much as I make music for myself. When I make a song, I put my entire self into the composition to release the demons and to release the evils that can lead to self-destructive behaviors

FF: That shows when listening. You've just recently released a split with Lys, is this your first official release?

Selbstmord: My first official release from a label, yes.

FF: Tell us a little about your past releases.

Selbstmord: Well, Demo I was just my introduction into the genre of black metal. It's very raw compared to my new material. Also, my friend, Thor (Kelkum, Lys) helped me through it a lot. Demo II was very much the same. In this time period, I had very little gear to work with and just used a USB microphone from a video game to record. I didn't even have a microphone stand! However, I had more fun with this release as the music is slightly more technical. Demo III marks one of my favorite accomplishments thus far. With two songs that are 20+ minutes long each, and very much inspired by Make A Change...Kill Yourself. This release was, for me, very time consuming and technical. Demo IV is my least favorite release. I say this because I do not like my guitar tone, all the drums are off time, and the vocals are odd sounding. I also believe that the riffs were overly simple.
I also have done a split with Schwarzwald (not a band anymore) in which I had two songs. I took these the same as with Demo III. Trying to create atmosphere over quality and, for the first time, used a distortion effect on my vocals to make them sound better. I also made it even more complex by harmonizing the vocals with myself.
Additionally, I have a tribute album. A tribute to other bands, no, but a tribute to my girlfriend that died and myself. This is when the depression really hit. All the songs have a very ambient sound and are all instrumental excluding "Until the End" in which Thor handled vocals. This is also marking the first release that I've used a metronome on and proper equipment.
Finally, my full lengths. I took these very seriously. Isolating myself to only music for days at times. In the lyrical content, I describe life when institutionalized as I had been twice previously. I also describe the delicacies of life and, most importantly, death.

FF: Sorry to hear about your loss. Considering Gurut has only been around for a little over a year that is quite a few releases. Are there any difficulties that come with being a one man band?

Selbstmord: Yes, but I think I prefer being a one man band over being a full outfit. This is due to that I am not a very good people person (haha) and I don't want others to interfere with my vision of what I want my music to be.

FF: What would you say influences your project the most? Does all the inspiration come from personal experiences or does music you listen to play a part in the sound you have molded as well?

Selbstmord: I'd say that my personal experiences in life definitely influence the music more, now. In the early days of Gurut, I was heavily influenced by Thor's project, Kelkum, and Xasthur. But now I rely on whatever I can pull out of my own mind to create the music.

FF: What are your future plans for the band?

Selbstmord: I plan to take it as far as it can go. I don't strive to be the "best" black metal band in the world, I strive to be able to change somebody's life with my music. All I can hope is that I create some music that people can connect with on a very personal and spiritual level.

FF: Are there any bands that you would like to do a split with in the future?

Selbstmord: Moloch definitely. I also think that a Gurut/Kelkum split is going to be possible, then I also dream to do a split with such big names as Anti and Astral Melancholy.

FF: What's your take on the modern metal scene?

Selbstmord: I think it's ridiculous. Every band, it seems, just tries to copy what other bands have done before them, or what other bands are doing presently. There are very few modern bands that I enjoy.

FF: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Selbstmord: I'd like to believe that I don't hold myself to any higher standards than anybody else; any "normal" people. I'm very big on not acting like some big celebrity and I want to stay in touch with my fans!

gurut2009@hotmail.com is my email.