History of Guns- Acedia

Artist: History of Guns

Album: Acedia

Label: Line Out Records

Reviewer: Matthew J.

Date: 10-25-08

Many people think of goths as the kind of people who sit around and cry by candlelight a lot. England's History of Guns, on the other hand, sound a lot more like the kind of people who drink lager by the gallon instead of the pint and get in a lot of bar fights. Propelled by pounding drums, chunky guitars, and lead singer Del Gun's gravel-gargling vocal work, the band's latest album indicates a band that you wouldn't want to mess with, though they'd probably make fun drinking buddies if you could get on their good side. "Born, Brutalized, Bought then Buried" introduces itself with the line, "Welcome to the world, little cunt," and things don't get much more friendly or welcoming from there. The occasional less aggressive parts, like the deceptively upbeat chorus on "...But I'll Be Waiting" or the infectious dance beats of "Empty Eyes," merely emphasize the overall brutality of the rest of the album. "Never Forgive You" at least invites the listener to share in the mayhem with an old-school punk chorus that's perfect for shouting along with, and "Drag On" slows down the tempo from primal onslaught to gritty dub, providing a head-nodding respite from the band's bludgeoning, though Gun's semi-spoken vocal work is sardonic as ever and the reprieve as brief, as "Killing Myself Until I Die" ends things with a relentlessly pounding backbeat and hard-hitting guitar chords. Goths make easy targets these days, thanks to a reputation for self-harm and depression, but when they first emerged on the scene they were accompanied by an almost palpable sense of menace. Listen to History of Guns, and you'll see exactly what proper British society must've been afraid of when the first black-clad death rockers first started appearing on the streets of London.

Delve into the History of Guns at www.historyofguns.com.