Band:	Gilo
Album:	Blood In, Blood Out
Style:	Nu metal
Release date:	2005

01. My Patience
02. Grow
03. Equilibrium
04. Blood In
05. Blood Out
06. D.V.W.A.C.M.

Gilo is a fairly young band from the Netherlands who, contrary to what is stated on their website, play a modern version of nu-metal. This is not actually a bad thing as nu-metal can also be innovative and interesting, especially now when its commercial potential is falling and only bands of actual value are capable of remaining active on the scene. Well, Gilo is one such worthwile nu-metal band. Blood In, Blood Out is a very promising, albeit somewhat uneven EP that foretells a great future for this band, if only they work on some of their shortcomings.

I hear all kinds of influences on this EP. Most notably, Gilo sounds a lot like Mudvayne, albeit without that bands signature bass and drum interplay. I also hear influences of industrial rock/metal in terms of how the album sounds as the vocal distortion used throughout the EP reminds me of the album Not Like Them by Misery Loves Co. a lot. Finally, I hear some echoes of Slayer's contemporary heavy-handed hardcore style. I could of course be completely wrong with these influences (they are merely connotations I subjectively made after hearing this EP); however, I believe that me listing them will give you the idea that Gilo is indeed not as one-dimensional as most people expect nu-metal to be.

The first two songs on Blood In, Blood Out are very good. "My Patience" is as brutal as nu metal gets and is filled with jumpy and moving heavy riffs. Grow is more complex - it starts as an ordinary nu metal song but later gets significantly more agressive only to transform again towards the end, this time into proggy atmospheric rock. "Blood In" has rather annoying vocals and an obnoxious refrain, which successfully prevent me from appreciating the other aspects of this song. "Blood Out" reminds me of Slayer on Diabolous In Musica but is too long. Finally, in D.V.M.A.C.M those horrible vocals are back. Whats more, this song is about child molestation which is a theme so overdone in nu metal that this song is easily my least favorite, even though it has a memorable ending. The band should really keep away from those deliberately immature sounding vocals since they clash strongly with the otherwise ambitious musical structures that they present.

I actually fairly enjoyed this EP; however, the evident problems on it prevent me from rating it higher. Nevertheless, I have high hopes for this band as if they deliver a more focused, direct and concise LP, it will be worth looking forward to.