UT - In Gut's House (Album Review)

 

UT - In Gut’s House

(1987)


My copy: 2020 remastered reissue by Out Records.


NYC’s UT came up in the no-wave era during the mid to late 80s. Combining elements of industrial, goth and pop, their brand of cacophony was made more interesting by the often bright vocal deliveries. The three-piece also kept their writing process fresh by switching instruments frequently, with a different member leading the charge on each song.  

“Evangelist” is their most consumable track, with a straightforward and punkish use of repetition in the guitars. The bouncy elated vocal melodies give the track a charming and infectious atmosphere. The low-end is mostly chopped away, sounding similar to early Sonic Youth or The Raincoats. “I.D.” is a better example of the lo-fi mixing as the bass and guitar trade riffs interchangeably. They stay grounded in no-wave through their refusal to smooth out the percussion into easily recalled grooves, instead brewing up dark soundtracks for the horror-film dialogues of the vocals. The choppiest playing features on “Swallow” with deep throaty shouts that mimic tremolo guitar. 

Sputtering guitar abuse sets a frightful tone on “Big Wing” though the chaos occasionally coalesces into a satisfying harmonic drone before the guitar becomes further unhinged. The guitar is even further misused as the strings bend and weep in the intro and outro of “Hotel.” There are slight blues elements as the guitar repeats riffs under ominous vocal incantations while the experimental use of panning on this track elevates the experience. Melodic chords lighten the load on “Homebled” which also adds violin to their palette of textures. The track grinds apart its core melodies, eventually settling more into a rock groove before becoming furious. “Shut Fog” would truly fit into the soundtrack for the darkest of experimental films with its tortured violin and dour guitar chords. The drums have devolved into primal tom hits here, as everything descends into a bleak gray landscape. 

“Mosquito Botticelli” is a droning piece of gothic faire with vocal experiments swirling about in the ether. The track contains some of the coolest soundscapes on the record with pitched nonsensical vocal cries. The violin is used to create dramatic swells in the shorter interlude of “Dirty Net” while “Landscape” closes the album by rearranging its own rhythms from industrial to more collected post-punk. The haunting falsettos of Nina Canal reverberate out in the darkness.

In Gut’s House is indeed dark and brooding, but similarly playful and evocative. The instruments are mostly simple in tonality, but draw tons of atmosphere out through their unconventional methods of playing. The performances are definitely choppy, and the appeal is not universal, but UT has succeeded at creating a compelling work while challenging the typical rock structures of the time.

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