Artist: History Of Guns
Title: Forever Dying In Your Eyes
Genre: Electro Punk / Electronica / Industrial Post Punk / Punk
Release Date: 1st August 2022
Label: Self-Released
Album Review
HISTORY OF GUNS began operations way back in the last century, circa 1996 to be more precise. Since that time, they have been mainly a studio-based outfit releasing albums and EPs suffusing elements from various musical genres that include Industrial, Punk, Goth and metal to name a few. They hail from the county of Hertfordshire, north of London and the name was inspired by an early song they wrote about The Dunblane Massacre but initially they were called PRE - HATE MACHINE, a name that was inspired by… So, from their first demo ‘Reformation Day’ through to their first track recorded on Cubase, ‘Random Death Bag’ and then debut album ‘Flashes Of Light’ the band progressed to performing live in 2004 but no tracks from the debut album were aired.
The second album ‘Apophenia’ came in 2005 followed by ‘ACEDIA’ in 2008 and ‘Whatever You Do, Don’t Turn Up At Twelve’ in 2011. Let me at this point add a bit of confusion into the mix. ‘Flashes Of Light’ is listed as their debut album, but there is another album called ‘Enough Is Too Much’ that was released in 2000 but according to the blurb, no label was interested in it. Anyway, I’ve had a rudimentary shuffle through their back catalogue to put me in the mood for this new album and so far, I’ve found ‘Vernon Kaye Must Die’ from the ‘Udders’ EP a good listen along with most of the ‘Acedia’ LP. Anyway, enough of the preamble, let’s review ‘Forever Dying In Your Eyes’.
The album starts off with the track ‘Desperation’, the opening bars being a few piano trinkets that morph into a MINISTRY-like plate of textures with a grating searing guitar riff and urgent soaring noodling later in the track that perfectly illustrates desperation. The end of the track feels resigned, you know that feeling you get when you know there’s no fucking point and you sharply puff air out your face? A lazy drum beat starts off ‘Running In Circles’. This sounds like groovy misery. It’s the sort of music I’d play if I was going to kill myself. Can you imagine dancing and gyrating towards a chair with cool shades on your face, doing a few pirouettes before standing on the chair and putting the noose around your neck? I love the vocals and the phrasing on this, it’s like a miserable Carl McCoy.
‘You Want To Live’ reminds me of the ‘Psychonaut’ phase in the FOTN journey. But this, how can I put it, pebbly. Not abrasive, just pebbly like a spring flowing down into the sea bringing along small stones and pebbles with it. I like the synth bass and acoustic overflow. With ‘Into The Fire (Ghosts)’ there’s something about this track that sounds familiar and vague, familiar and vague, this annoys me, what is it about this track, for crying out loud? YES, an original composition of Japan’s ‘Ghost’. This has soaring and expressive guitars working in tandem with electronic textures and that pained and strained vocals.
‘Heart Full Of Dirt’ starts with a simple synth bassline underlaid with a grating guitar. early 80s in feel. Like DAF, CABARET VOLTAIRE or NITZER EBB. There’s piano at two minutes in and I like the percussion! The vocal recedes into the background more at this point before coming to the fore again later on, the drums get emphatic and metal guitars that chug then noodle enter the fray to track conclusion. ‘Let Them Burn’ did not do much for me. It went up and down the scales but felt flat, it didn’t jump out and grab me at all, it bored me, to be honest! ‘Tomorrow Drags You’ - “What if tomorrow drags you through today, what if yesterday created this for you?” This is Trance like in vibe and spacey, the bass being like jelly mud. It keeps me in the moment.
Final Track ‘Eyelash’ starts out with tinny drones and spoken word (“I’m scratching about in your messed up haze and lash out at your very being, all the things left are still un feeling...”). Punchy drums break up the train of thought, before then going a bit prog electronic in a PINK FLOYD / MARILLION kind of way with guitars, keyboards, and a simple but upfront bass line. The vocals are echoed near the end. “I lash out” they exclaim. “I hate me, in the back of, cof”. I love this track with its varying textures and changes of pace and tone along with the cerebral elements.
The whole album has a sneery, angry, and resigned feel to it with segments of upbeat and inspired respite. I listened to this a few times, especially when out walking but the best time is late at night staring out the window into the darkness as the fire bulbs dance on the garden wall. It's not a bad album but you know how some albums grab you straight away and you listen incessantly until boredom sets in, or when an album is a slow burner and takes many listens before it turns into one of your all-time favourites? I’ve listened to this numerous times; I don’t know if it could end up impressing me more or whether what enthusiasm I have disintegrates like sugar in a cup of water. Let’s see.
Tracklist
01. Desperation
02. Running In Circles
03. You Wanted To Live
04. Into The Fire (Ghosts)
05. Heart Full Of Dirt
06. Let Them Burn
07. Tomorrow Drags You
08. Eyelash
Line-up
Del Alien
Max Rael
Jamu Knight
Website
https://historyofguns.bandcamp.com/
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7.5
Sound: 7
Total: 7.3 / 10
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