SOULS
‘Gold Dust’
(Sugar Shack)
4/5

Debut album from promising West Country noisemongers..

That’s not the most imaginative of band names, guys. But we’ll forgive you, because you’ve made a very good debut album. Souls hail from Bristol, and deal in filthy, fuzzed up art-punk tunes in a Killing Joke vein: the opening ‘White Noise’ is all seismic guitar riffs and raw vocals, and it sets the tone for the rest of the record.

There’s a few surprises here and there, though. Most notably, the melodic melancholy of ‘Undone’ and the oddly addictive ‘Desecrate’ (well it’s the closest they come to writing a catchy tune) and overall it rocks like a bastard. ‘I won’t waste your time!’ sneers vocalist Dean in ‘Awakened’ but he needn’t worry, as listening to ‘Gold Dust’ is forty-odd minutes of your time well spent.
Alex Gosman
BIG CHEESE

SOULS
‘Gold Dust’
(Sugar Shack)
7/10
With vocals like gravel and irate guitars, Souls are no-frills, straightforward rock. Based in Bristol, their debut album ‘Gold Dust’ arrives on local label Sugar Shack and is 10 tracks of driving riffs and growling vocals that sits somewhere between Therapy?, Quees Of The Stone Age and, occasionally, Clutch.
Opening with a blast of scuzzed-up, down-tuned rock, the suitably titled ‘White Noise; sets the precedent. Free from pretension, ‘Come Undone’ is reminiscent of Muse, but ‘Idle Dream’ is where the album peaks. While most of the tracks are devoid of true invention, in this highlight they let loose with nearly six minutes of indulgent guitar solos and squalls of feedback. Not quite the finished product yet, but definitely worth checking out.
www.soulsarmy.com
Lila Hassani
ROCKSOUND