Article by Adrian Hextall
It’s been 2 and a half years since we had the pleasure of first reviewing Guns of Anarchy. Back then the fledgling band were the opening act of the night at the O2 Academy 2 in islington London in support of Damn Dice. The review read as:
They present solid energetic hard / glam rock and get a great reaction from those that have arrived early enough to see them. My personal opinion is that first band on the bill is completely the wrong slot for them as the energy they exude and intensity of their songs warrants the main support billing tonight. The bands that follow don’t have the energy or similarity to the headliners that ‘Guns of Anarchy’ do so it’s a shame when there short set finishes as I’d have loved to have seen more. Look out for this band when they play near you as one day you’ll say “I saw them when they played to 30 people in my local club”, right before they take to the stage at Wembley.
The Watford based melodic hard rock band was formed in early 2013 by frontman/guitarist Ollie Tindall and drummer James Norkett after a chance encounter outside a local nightclub. Within weeks the line-up was complete with both Lex Gifford and Marty Venus on board.
Fast forward and the duo now turned foursome had a repertoire of songs ready to unleash. Having opened for acts such as Guns 2 Roses, Damn Dice, Meanstead, New Device and Metalworks (to name but a few), they continue on, enlightening audiences to a sound which has all but disappeared from UK stages until now…
The three songs on offer on their soundcloud page offer a neat throwback to the fist punching arena fillings sounds that made hard rock more mainstream than ever, something that needs to rectified once more.
Cashing Cheques (and Breaking Necks) pays homage to THE great Australian rock n roll band that we all own at least one album by. The riffs are thick and dirty and the underlying bass line really drives the song along. Tindall’s voice is well suited to the rock scene and he snarls his way through the track with a healthy dose of blues thrown in for good measure as well.
Hang Em High [needs more cowbell] but immediately shows that the band won’t simply stick to a formula. It’s a complete contrast to Cashing Cheques.. and as such is all the better as a result. Catchy, energised and again, Marty’s riffs come to the fore, complimented by Ollie’s playing as well, proving that two guitars always work better than one! Again the bass grooves along with James Norkett’s drumming providing a toe tapping rhythm that’s difficult to shift once the song is done.
Saving the best till last, Scream offers the riffs, the licks and the beats that make up a great song. Stealing a little bit of the riff from Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, no bad thing given how that’s known by everyone and his Grandmother, the song feels familiar before the first minute has passed. A smart, sassy tune, it helps Tindall show off his inner Nathan James (Inglorious) and thats no bad thing. Vocals that can shatter the glass ceiling (Hilary, this is how it’s done!) with a solid solo mid song really make this one for the ‘repeat play’ option.
The downside… three songs aren’t enough, more are needed as is exposure for this great act. Check them out when they play your town soon.
Guns of Anarchy are:
Ollie Tindall – Vocals, Guitar,
Marty Venus -Guitar,
Lex Gifford – Bass,
James Norkett – Drums,
Links
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gunsofanarchyuk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gunsofanarchyuk
Instagram: www.instagram.com/gunsofanarchyuk/
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/guns-of-anarchy
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