Guns fans will appreciate another album that’s true to their classic sound. Lewis and Guns sound the same, in a good way. “Knock Me Down” is similarly engrossing, but relying upon an infectious drum beat. The tune slowly builds on a sinister guitar riff, releasing into an anthemic chorus. “If It’s Over Now” has a grunge energy, almost like Alice in Chains, a Seattle band that started in glam. “Get Along” is the requisite ballad, a sweet song that provides a reset for the band and the listener. “Bad Luck Charm,” another catchy-yet-heavy track also features harmony guitar, one of the few tells of the band’s age. Lest you worry that metal is dead, the tune features a harmony guitar solo, right out of Iron Maiden, that leads into a more contemporary ripping solo. “Cannonball” is driving, with a relentless, chugging groove, and a huge, poppy chorus. This is a band that knows how it wants to sound and creates songs that move them toward that goal. They know the sound that locked in fans, going back to their self-titled 1988 debut and 1989’s hit Cocked & Loaded. The beauty of Checkered Past is that L.A. Guns and Guns N’ Roses both leveraged the glam metal moment long enough to catapult themselves onto MTV, but neither truly internalized the hair and make-up the way other Los Angeles bands did. Guns with the band Hollywood Rose, to form an early incarnation of Guns N’ Roses. Guns famously, and temporarily, united L.A. Guns were certainly glam in look (I say this with no judgment, as the person who owns-and probably still has somewhere- this Tracii Guns trading card), their sound was always rooted in good old-fashioned rock and roll. Guns.ĭespite the past turbulance, Checkered Past is Lewis and Guns, who have been together since 2017’s The Missing Peace. Guns history is littered with various members, including Guns and Lewis, floating in and out of the band, with offshoots guaranteeing that both everyone and no one is a member of L.A. The iconic version of the band features Tracii Guns on guitar and Phil Lewis on vocals, but the L.A. It’s an impressive feat because of the band’s personnel changes over the past 40 years. Guns show they’re one of those bands on Checkered Past, a modern-ish album that’s equal parts hook-tinged metal and metallic glam. It takes a special band to maintain a consistent sound without sounding stale.
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