Güler – The Salt On Your Face [LP] (1987, Akzidanz)

 

Güler was a Dutch band from the Nijmegen scene that released only one album. Most of the band members previously played in other bands. Hans Hermes played in Das Wesen, Laszlo Panyigay in Mekanik Kommando and Ties van der Linden in Vice. Huub Dols, the fourth band member, would later form Ulanbator with the latter two. So you can hear a solid album, produced by Panyigay. Although the new wave in the second half of the 80s was largely taken over by the more polished New Romantic, this band has a sound that fits the early 80s.

 
The opener cuts right in. "Kiss Me" is a slightly hysterical uptempo song, which immediately makes it clear that this is not music to sit still to. In the music you can hear gothic rock influences, a bit in the direction of Bauhaus. PIL also briefly pops, which will also have to do with the somewhat drawling way of singing in this song. "The Ravens" has nice stirring rhythms, which provide a catchy drive in the song. The combination with a screeching guitar sound, including weird tomfoolery and a conjuring monotonous vocal, make it perfect to fill the dance floor with crazy dancing wave freaks. The quite dark tinged sound in "Gök" has something mysterious and could easily be placed under the heading of gothic rock. Certainly the vocals also contribute to this, they have a pinch of Eldritch (Sisters of Mercy). The drum sound of "Little Boy" was surely inspired by Joy Division's "She's Lost Control," otherwise, it looks absolutely nothing like it. Güler is definitely not a copycat. Occasionally you recognize some possible influences, which is only natural, here again Bauhaus, for example. All in all, it's a nice uplifting song.
 

"Princess Parade" also has a bit of that static drum sound á la "She's Lost Control" and a touch of Stranglers, but that will mainly be because the sound of organ distorting notes, similar to The Stranglers' 'Nice 'N' Sleazy'. Together with the freaky saxophone playing, the song takes on something chaotic, though it remains a well-organized whole. "Men and Women" stands out a bit dull compared to the rest. There is therefore quite a contrast with the song that follows, "I Threw It Out". Here a blissful fat sound is put down. Dark and ominous it sounds. Maybe the best of this record, but that remains taste and the rest is also just very different. With this song, think along the lines of Wire's "A Touching Display". Yep, this is the level and sound Güler manages to get pretty close to. What do you want to hear after the previous song? It could have been a closing track. Güler thinks otherwise and throws in another vague trip with the song "Thrilling Me". It's a bit like the eponymous closing track from The Cure's 'Pornography' album, but a little less dark. And so this fine discovery comes to an end. An unknown record of extraordinary class. [SOURCE: NEW WAVE & POST-PUNK REVIEWS]

 

 

Label: Akzidanz – AKZI 5 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: Netherlands 

Released: 1987 

Style: Post-Punk, Experimental. Goth Rock, Coldwave, Anatolian Rock

 

Tracklist:

A1 Kiss Me 

A2 The Ravens 

A3 Gök 

A4 Little Boy 

B1 Princess Parade 

B2 Men & Women 

B3 I Threw It Out 

B4 Thrilling Me 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE