Review: Broken Guru: “Bent Up Halo”
The one major thing Broken Guru has going for it is that it emerged from Forest Hills, Queens in 
New York, the same neighbourhood in which Ramones emerged out of. While Ramones represent a lot of different things for different people, one thing most fans would agree on was the punk act’s ability to positively not play by any rules. They created a fresh, unique sound that scared the shit out of some, yet invigorated a bunch more.
With Bent Up Halo, the rockers in Broken Guru take that idea of not playing by the rules to heart. Easily, one can hear vast garage rock influence, placed alongside classic rock appreciation and grooves designed to get those in the dirty bars to shake a little ass.
While the album’s production is far from glistening, it feels like a shiny coating would’ve taken away from the aesthetic Broken Guru seem to be going for: being that gritty rock band with an ability to shift directions and not worry about whether or not the gloss will keep up.
That said, one complaint would be that the energy experienced on moments throughout Bent Up Halo doesn’t last throughout the album. There are peaks and valleys here. We have the moments where the listener is easily swept in, but unfortunately there are just as many that have the opposite effect.
Broken Guru, however, is not a band to view as dead in the water. If anything, Broken Guru is a band that’s working its way through the tide to hit an ultimate destination.
-Adam Grant
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