L.A. Guns need no introduction. As one of the classic Sleaze/Glam/Hard Rock bands out of the 80’s Californian scene, all rockers – at least of a certain age – should be aware of the band, like them or not. After three records the band fell apart and has since the mid 90’s been an employment service for musicians – at one point they even existed without founding member and band-leader Tracii Guns – and today there are two versions of the band out there with (non-original) drummer Steve Riley and original bassist Kelly Nickels running the other one. Back in 2017, Guns and original singer Phil Lewis reunited the band as the only original members – and if those two are to believed, this new album will be the final one.
I must admit that even though their genre of music was something I really got into back when, L.A. Guns never resonated with me. I’m not gonna say they were a bad band, that’s only a matter of taste, but I never got into them like I did with bands such as Guns N’Roses, Faster Pussycat and Cats In Boots, the Hollywood Vampires record (1991) as the exception. The reunion album The Missing Peace (2017) was better than expected but still a few steps from being great and the follow-up The Devil You Know (2019) was an underwhelming experience, to say the least, so my expectations for this one might not be sky-rocketing. That being said, my mind is open and I will never judge a record before-hand.
The band opens the album with the single “Cannonball”, a rowdy, slammin’ and somewhat noisy rocker full of piss n’ vinegar and a punky attitude. It’s edgy, angry, kicking and biting and a bit dark – a party-rocker it’s not. It comes across as a bit unstructured too, like it was taken directly from a demo. It’s not crap but only ok at best. “Bad Luck Charm” is more of a Classic Rock groover with some bluesy licks that just might have been influenced by Jimi Hendrix. It’s stripped, organic and holds a driving beat with a decent main-melody. The chorus goes into sleaze-territory with a Guns N’Roses like swagger. Pretty good.
The foot-stomp inviting “Living Right Now” is a Glam/Sleaze rocker late 80’s style with a swinging bass-line and a solid beat. We get crunchy, rough-edged guitars and a juicy, straight ahead refrain that sticks. “Suzi’s got a Uzi and Davey better run”, sneers Lewis and you have to wonder what Dave’s done to deserve that. Pretty good. Latest single “Get Along” tells us its ballad time. It’s an acoustic guitar laden, quite upbeat slow-burner with a chunky groove and a folky, Celtic touch. With a hooky main-melody and a catchy, effective chorus, they sure has a winner on their hands with this one. Very good.
“It’s Over Now” is a slow, dark and somewhat eerie semi-ballad where Guns and Lewis are throwing a glimpse at 70’s Alice Cooper. It’s a bit rough around the edges as well with a gritty guitar inside the song’s slightly spacey atmosphere. Still it’s melodic enough to bring out the memorable melodies and the chorus is both dramatic and catchy. Very good. As a direct opposite “Better Than You” is a raunchy slammer, heavy and darkening that blends Classic Rock with a punk-sleaze attitude. It’s straight forward and kicking on a bouncy rhythm which is right in your face. It’s an ok tune but a bit forgettable.
“Knock Me Down” takes us back to L.A. Guns’ 80’s with an added Classic Rock vibe. It’s upbeat, cocky and holds a fat, chunky groove with a middle-finger attitude – total sleaze-rock with a big live-feel. It’s only a decent tune but it sure rocks. “Dog” is trashy, dirty, punchy and attitude laden with a sleaze-glam outlook, very direct and in-your face where the band lets loose and gets rowdy for real. Unfortunately it doesn’t make much of a fuss quality-wise. Down-beat and slightly on the ballad side, the single “Let You Down” is sleazy yet darkening, a bit depressive and throws a small nod towards grunge. Tracii’s guitar is crunchy with a bit of a Rolling Stones vibe, the melodies are intense and catchy without being the least hitty or uplifting. Pretty good.
More 80’s L.A. Sleaze comes in with “That Ain’t Why”, a riff-happy, groovy and straight ahead rocker where again I can hear traces of early G N’R mixed with L.A. Guns’ hey-day. This one’s a down ‘n’ dirty cock-rocker, perfect for both the stage and the pre/after-party. A juicy, simple and concise rocker. Good one. The album ends on a gloomier note with the slower and heavier “Physical Itch”, a song that holds the sleaze in attitude but moves toward headbang-friendly territories and there’s even a slice of Black Sabbath involved here. It’s moody and dark but still holds memorable melodies and a good enough refrain.
To my ears this is not the most coherent album I have heard of lately. It’s not a crap record, like I thought The Devil You Know was but it’s not as strong as The Missing Peace – an album that hardly is a masterpiece – either. Maybe the bigger L.A. Guns fans will beg to differ here but there’s not enough stand-out material here and the fillers are a few too many. It’s a rootsy, raw, robust and edgy record, very down-to-earth and attitude-laden and not the least polished. In fact, it comes across as under-produced most of the times. If this sounds like your keg of beer, then by all means, go get it but in my book, this doesn’t really cut it.
4/10
More L.A. Guns reviews:
The Missing Peace
The Devil You Know
Tracklist:
1. Cannonball
2. Bad Luck Charm
3. Living Right Now
4. Get Along
5. If It’s Over Now
6. Better Than You
7. Knock Me Down
8. Dog
9. Let You Down
10. That Ain’t Why
11. Physical Itch
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