GURS is the fusion between 4 friends from Bilbao (Euskal Herria) knowing each other from the underground and political scene. They play a sort of energetic post punk with influences around bands like Litovsk, Daily Ritual, Bleakness, Short Days, The Estranged. GURS refer to "Gurs internment camp" in France where Basque prisoners where internemented, then also many spanish anarchist & political prisoners during the Spanish Civil War!!


Our take: Over the past few weeks I’ve written about all four new releases on France’s Symphony of Destruction Records, but I think I might have saved the best for last with this 4-song 7” from Bilbao, Spain’s Gurs. I’m not sure there’s a name for the style of punk Gurs plays, but it’s one I recognize: think of bands like the Estranged or Red Dons whose music is informed both by the Wipers’ melodic density and sophistication and the drama and energy of hardcore. It’s a style many bands attempt, but you have to get the mix just right. If you’re missing the grit or the fire, it can come off sounding like tepid pop-punk or just boring hardcore, but Gurs has no such problem. The performances on these four tracks are explosive, bristling with energy and built around dramatic peaks and valleys. Their guitar player is just brilliant, finding non-intuitive but catchy lines that are worthy of Greg Sage himself… check out “Tan Solo Unos Minutos” for a great example. There’s so much packed into these four tracks, but it all works, making for one of those rare records that’s gritty enough for the punks but memorable and likable enough to get the entire room singing along.