Gorilla Biscuits Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
The first release from hardcore legends the Gorilla Biscuits is a vital part of the band's history but still far from the classic Start Today LP issued only a year later. Recorded with noticeably less quality than the second record, this twelve song self-titled debut sees the group laying down the groundwork for the hardcore blueprint they were about to construct. The songs are all rage filled anthems that rally against drugs and bad attitudes while focusing on ideas of friendship and community, and vocalist Civ spits them out with the raw exuberance of youth. The instrumentation is a bit more metal tinged than later work, but the angsty guitars do quite a bit for stand out tracks like "No Reason Why" and "High Hopes. The record also contains two tracks that resurface on the second LP as well as two live versions of songs already represented earlier in the record. Gorilla Biscuits is certainly a call to arms, but its vision is still a bit skewed. This was the album that started one of the more influential bands in the genre, and for that it deserves a good deal of respect; at the same time it is the vision that matters more than the presentation here, and the Gorilla Biscuits proved that they were capable of much more impressive work than this disc illustrates. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Vying with Minor Threat for the title of "The Godfathers of Hardcore" are Gorilla Biscuits, and Start Today is the record that demonstrates their merits. Presented with both humor and energy, this is the record that proved straightedge kids knew how to have a good time, and that they had some pretty good musical ideas as well. Focusing on the hyper rants of lead singer CIV and pushed along with loud and chunky guitar riffs by Walter Schreifel (later of Quicksand), the record sees the band tackle topics ranging from pets to friends and even to pride in the hardcore scene. It's certainly not without its politics, but the tone is surprisingly light, and CIV is clearly giving his opinion more than he is trying to convince others of anything. From the trumpets that announce the record's start, which are immediately followed by a chugging guitar chord, Gorilla Biscuits never really let up on the listener. Unlike so much of what the group influenced, there aren't a great deal of slowed down musical interludes and unintelligible screams, though the band's tasteful use of the half-time "mosh part" makes it clear where they might have steered some of their copycats wrong. Start Today is a terrific representation of the beginnings of hardcore music, and for those involved in the scene it is certainly required listening. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide
