A new voice steps forward to put our concerns and frustrations into words – that voice is Guiltless… Guiltless present their EP, Thorns, arriving on Neurot Recordings on 23rd Feb with the promise of a full-length to follow. Guiltless are: Billy Graves (Generation of Vipers) on drums, Dan Hawkins (A Storm Of Light) on guitar and noise, Sacha Dunable (Intronaut) on bass, and Josh Graham (A Storm Of Light, Battle of Mice) on guitar, vocals, and noise. Together they present a stripped down, visceral reaction to modern life; angular yet straight to the point, self aware, surreal and occasionally sarcastic.
Josh Graham explains a bit further: “The idea for Guiltless presented itself in late 2022, IIVII had just played Desertfest Antwerp with Cave In and Brian Jonestown Massacre. A Storm Of Light had been on hiatus since 2018. Playing the festival really reawakened my need to play heavy music. This time I really wanted to strip it down, and the idea revolved around how I envision the future live shows to be – no visuals – no computers – just raw and distinct energy – maybe exploring the songs differently than they are on the albums, etc.
Playing music for the last 20 years has also made me realize, that whatever idea you start with for a new project – it will always be different than the initial intention. I used to try and fight with this process, however for the Thorns EP, the initial song ideas just flowed. For the first time in a long while, I didn’t have to fight the process. I demoed out the general structures and then approached some great friends to see if they would want to be a part of the project – Billy Graves (Generation Vipers / IIVII), Dan Hawkins (A Storm Of Light) and Sacha Dunable (Intronaut). The next phase started, and together we pushed the material even further, bringing in complexity, power and heft.”
We asked Josh about some of the influences for Guiltless. Josh comments: “These are some of the references that were floating around in the back of my head in the beginning – some may be more obviously related, but my experience these albums really paved the way for beginning of Guiltless.”
Band image supplied by the band.
Einstürzende Neubauten – Kollaps
Pure raw energy – Less about traditional music or standard instrumentation and more about creating an atmosphere. I have been obsessed with this performance from ’85.
Melvins – Lysol
Melvins have been in my top 10 for the last 30 years. This record is probably my favorite. The long drawn out stripped down intro, Dale’s simple and incredibly effective drumming, and the payoff at the end.
Swans – Filth
Obviously a classic reference. The live performances around this time are something I will always wish I could have seen. This video captures that pummeling chaos and their power of repetition.
Godflesh – Streetcleaner
This record is my all time favorite Godflesh album. The heaviness, variation in vocal styles and general atmosphere.
Meshuggah – I
This EP blew my mind when it came out. The heaviness and detail in all of their records is something that will always impress me. For Guiltless, I wanted that kind of sonic quality and clarity, but somehow melded with the less technical approaches of Swans / Godflesh, with some of the less musical components of Einstürzende Neubauten.
