2019 marks the 30th Anniversary of L.A. Guns rather fine second album ‘Cocked and Loaded’ and if you count the Sunset Strip bands that are making partial resurgences these days to mark that anniversary you’d be forgiven for thinking there is a bit of a mini-revival going on. There are however few bands out there from that era that have pretty much remained a going concern throughout those three decades. L.A. Guns despite their fractious history might be considered one of them, though I guess with all the changes L.A. Guns have gone through over the years ‘going concern’ might be stretching it.
A few years back of course there were two camps and two versions of L.A. Guns – Phil Lewis and Steve Riley in one and Tracii Guns in the other. Then back in 2016 Phil left Steve and joined Tracii and there was one, until earlier this year when Steve put together his own version. This really could be the greatest Hard Rocking soap opera of all.
That’s all over now though as what many fans will surely consider the two main protagonists of the band release their second album in two years with ‘The Devil You Know’ following relatively hot on the heels of 2017’s ‘The Missing Peace.’ Now stop me if you’ve heard it before but I love those two rather tongue in cheek titles.
31 years in Guns sound fresh! But not just fresh they also sound like they have a lot to say and whereas ‘The Missing Peace’ especially with its production seemed to echo that second record, this time out there’s a little more of the bite of their debut.
OK so everyone’s heard ‘Rage’ by now, the punk-infused opener that bursts out of the speakers like the antithesis of the last album’s closer ‘Gave It All Away,’ rather like ‘Speed’ on the last record it’s straight down to business with no time for any nonsense.
‘Stay Away’ has a similarly bygone feel but this time with more bite and spite but also some great melody as it chugs along at id-pace as Phil spits the lyrics across Tracii’s guitar stabs. ‘Loaded Bomb’ is the first of a number of tracks that threaten the five minute barrier and indeed ‘The Devil You Know’ only has one track that clocks in at under four minutes. It’s a decent song and similarly mid-tempo and nice and spiky, but with both you feel that they could maybe have had more impact with less meat on the bone and a little more directness, but after a few listens you realise how wrong those initial thoughts were – what L.A. Guns 2019 have done is taken that Sleazy Rock template and thrust it thirty years forward and thats the big difference with this album.
‘The Devil You Know’ is a little more groove-laden, heavier and doomier and makes a nice contrast especially against the almost Pop-rock fueled ‘Needle To The Bone’ – it’s l most like we’re getting treated to different alternate takes on here you can take LA Guns bedrock 80’s sound. The riff to me has touches of Dandy Warhols’ ‘Bohemian Like You’!
‘Going High’ comes as another great juxtaposition – and rides a majestically fat groove against the poppier Glam of ‘Gone Honey’; whilst ‘Don’t Need To Win’ is a punch-packing no-nonsense rocker that fans of old will love. That sadly just leaves us with the trippy rock of ‘Down That Hole’ and the slower epic feel of ‘Another season in Hell’ which serves as Phil and Tracii’s showcase and as such sports some amazing guitar and looks ready made to slip into a live set.
Closer (or ‘bonus track’ if you will) ‘Boom’ takes us out with a fun sleazy Rock and Roll ride. L.A. Guns mojo is certainly back and two albums in eighteen months is what the fans have been after for years!
Tracklist: 01 – Rage 4:00 | 02 – Stay Away 4:02 | 03 – Loaded Bomb 4:50 | 04 – The Devil You Know 5:20 | 05 – Needle To The Bone 4:02 | 06 – Going High 4:27 | 07 – Gone Honey 5:45 | 08 – Don’t Need To Win 4:06 | 9 – Down That Hole 4:31 | 10 – Another Season In Hell 6:22 | 11 – Boom (Bonus Track)