With a history dating back to 1992, the men in 300ft Gorilla bring a variety of backgrounds and previous-band experience to Gorilla Tactics — an hour-long excursion into a musical monkey house full of muscular and groovy King's X-style rockers ("Is Over," "Firefly") and weighty jams ("Dazed in the Sunlight," "Vital"). Truth be told, 60 minutes is about 15 minutes too long, considering Gorilla Tactics' dense sound and similar arrangements. Don't let that discourage you, though; the British quartet boasts creative songwriting, precision playing and a hunger you can hear in practically each of the album's 16 songs. Just don't get too used to singer Graham Parker, whose slightly stuffed-up voice falls somewhere between D(o)ug Pinnick and Jean Beauvoir. He left the group after the release of Gorilla Tactics, citing an urge to play live more frequently. Here's hoping 300ft Gorilla continues, because this music is strong enough to stand on its own — with or without a vocalist.
Track Listing:
1) King
2) Now or Hereafter
3) Is Over
4) Holiday
5) 2 Hours
6) Sharks
7) Those Who Watch
8) Dazed in the Sunlight
9) Firefly
10) Wavelength
11) Vital
12) First Stone Intro
13) First Stone
14) Summertime Flows
15) Zinc
16) Gorilla Pyramid