Chris DeLine

The Guystorm’s debut EP, loosely titled The Dark Album, contains a handful of whirlwind tracks that the band has been fine-tuning since first coming together in late 2007. If my memory serves me correctly (it usually doesn’t), I believe the band’s performance at the 2007 Clapperclaw Music Festival was its second show ever, and that’s where I first saw the band. Not to discount the part that a few strong drinks played that night, but the Guystorm are the only band I really remember from the show… and from what I remember, they blew me away. Despite the band being a bit green, they were fierce and proved early on that they had a feel for their sound, something many bands never find. The next time I saw the band, I was flat out drunk. Opening for the Hands at the Nomad last March, the Guystorm once again impressed me—this time playing songs that I’d become familiar with from the ultra-rough demos they’d uploaded to their MySpace page.

Normally, I’d be hesitant to suggest a group based on a few drunken memories, but with one listen to their EP all skepticism is quickly dismissed. Perhaps the energy that singer Angelo V. Pennacchio showcases at the band’s live shows fails to completely transfer to the recordings, but his wails and howls still effectively drive the thrust and bounce that envelopes the EP. Sounding like a pre-Rick Ruben (International) Noise Conspiracy, the recording of “Real Big Business” effectively trumps any preconceived drunken notions I had of the band. The EP’s four other tracks all offer something unique, from hints of surf to funk, but they collectively echo the same feeling and emotion—one that the band hopefully carries over to a full length release sometime in the near future.

[This post was first published by Culture Bully.]