The 90s were not only a wild time for music, but a decade of music innovation that constantly pushed the envelope of creativity, giving birth to multiple new sub-genres of alternative and electronic music, much of it cutting-edge. One area that is particularly interesting is where ‘alternative rock’ and its subsets overlapped with electronic music culture. That awesome grey zone gave rise to numerous groups, while others, who had actually pioneered this development earlier in the 80s, still held strong. Such bands as Alien Sex Fiend, Cabaret Voltaire, Nitzer Ebb, Coil, Pop Will Eat Itself and New Order come to mind.
Yes another band surfaced in the mid-90s, who are still going strong today, albeit after taking a hiatus for roughly a decade. Hailing from Hertfordshire in 1996, History Of Guns became frontrunners of the UK’s Wasp Factory / FuturePunk scene of the early 2000s and their 2004 single ‘Your Obedient Servant’ was ultimately championed by The Quietus and Mick Mercer as one of the “thirty best goth singles of all time”.
As a band, Hertfordshire’s History of Guns is something of a musical chameleon. Like Killing Joke and Nine Inch Nails, they’ve taken on new forms whilst remaining easily identifiable in their journey from goth rock to post-punk and darkwave to EDM and wider electro-goth hybrid territory. The tension of opposites that characterises much of their work propels it forth to an electronic beat, the vocals uncoiling, snake-like, atop a steady electronic catchment.
Now the electro-goth outfit band is back and we have the pleasure of introducing our readers to their new single ‘No Longer Earthbound’ – a song about leaving the planet (through space travel, virtual reality or death) and about recalibrating our thoughts away from our own problems and looking at a more global and cosmic picture. That’s a pretty deep concept there, but the music will make you want to dance or drive.
Max Rael says, “This is a song about shifting focus away from this planet and to other places or realities.The existentialist question about why worry about saving the planet and endangered species when ultimately life will be unlivable on Earth in 1.3 billion years? If everything ends anyway, where else could we go? We pictured escaping the planet either through space travel, virtual reality or death. It is also about what we choose to leave behind as we shed one existence and go looking for another. That’s not to say History Of Guns don’t care about the planet. We recycle! Though apparently most of it ends up in landfill anyway.”
Coming soon is their new ‘Half Light’ album, set for release through the Liquid Len Recording Company. Their eighth record promises their unmistakable meta-modernist Industrial sound, the product of songs they had begun working on in 2008 before parting ways in 2012. However, it would not be until they first release another album in 2022, called ‘Forever Dying In Your Eyes’ –
The ‘Half Light’ album, produced by Max Rael and mixed by Max Rael and Caden Clarkson, is mastering by none other than Pete Maher, famed for his work with such artists as U2, Pixies, Nick Cave, J&MC, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails
In their current incarnation, History Of Guns is founding members Del Alien (vocals) and Max Rael (keyboards, programming), together with guitarist Caden Clarkson, the newest member of History Of Guns. Influenced by Killing Joke, PWEI, Bauhaus, Coil, Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy and Nine Inch Nails and Swans, History Of Guns was a big part of the UK underground industrial scene of the 00s, playing Whitby Gothic Weekend, as well as Futurepunk and Back to the Futurepunk events.
“Philosopher Dirk Bruere got me interested about the idea of quantum suicide and immortality, where in a “many worlds” interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, it may be that there is no such thing as death from a subjective point of view. It’s about getting out of our heads, and taking a wider view, to the extent of how much do we choose and shape the reality we’re experiencing,” says Max Rael.
“The death of the idea of one objective reality, and the embrace of many different coexisting realities would be a major step forward. Ironically the more aware we are of our own confirmation bias the harder it becomes to see. And also the sense that we have to kill the person society wants to shape us to be, to realise the potential of what we can make of ourselves.”
Del Alien – an original punk turned goth – is an anti-authority seeker of truth and the questions behind the questions. Max Rael is in love with the idea of using music to create a separate universe for creating stories and escaping into, was an autistic, music-obsessed child, absorbing a dozen genres before diving into trance after Britpop ruined the alternative scene.
As of April 22, ‘No Longer Earthbound’ will be available from fine music platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. The ‘Half Light’ album will be released on June 20.
ALBUM CREDITS
Produced by Max Rael
Mixed by Max Rael and Caden Clarkson
Recorded at Apollo Audio (Hertford), Soul Studios (Bishops Stortford)
Mastered by Pete Maher
Del Alien – vocals
Max Rael – keyboards, programming, guitars
Caden Clarkson – guitar
Andy Webster & Marnie from SPUCKTUTE – vocals on ‘Never Give it Up’
Amon Ásentir & Mark Eris from Xykogen – vocals on ‘Arcadia’
Arcadia Choir (Emma Mills, Priyanka O’Neill, Sohm O’Neill and Ninotschka G.) – vocals on ‘Arcadia’
Nykky Spectre – vocals on ‘An Invitation’
Cover artwork by Amara O’Neill
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
Fire it up with the History Of Guns
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