Frontiers Music s.r.l.
23 March 2018
Line Up:
Tracii Guns
Philip Lewis
Michael Grant
Shane Fitzgibbon
Johnny Martin
Tracklist:
No Mercy
Electric Gypsy
Killing Machine
Bow Solo/Over The Edge
Sex Action
Speed
One More Reason
Kiss My Love Goodbye
Don’t Look At Me That Way
Malaria
Never Enough
Jelly Jam
The Ballad Of Jayne
Rip And Tear
L.A. Guns is one of those bands from back in the day I just took to instantly. They were brash, raucous, and heavy to be a Glam metal band. I always felt they were the cream of the crop of this style, and still, do. They’ve faltered along the way a time or two, a couple of bad albums, numerous line-up changes, but outside of those couple of bad albums, I dig them so much. When Tracii and Phil decided to bury the hatchet (and not in each other) and released last year’s amazing The Missing Peace, it was like all things were right in the world again. Coming off the heels of a huge world tour prior to the release of The Missing Peace, the band has unleashed Made In Milan, a live show taken from one of their shows in Italy.
The band sounds so great! Immediately you can tell that this is about as true a live album as you could expect. There is no polish and clean up going on here. It sounds 100% pure L.A. Guns. They tear through 14 tracks hitting the hot spots of their catalog, never relenting through the whole 67 minutes of the CD, the guys sound fired up and like they have something to prove. The dual guitars of Guns and Michael Grant (now departed from the band) are spot on, seeming to drive each other further and further along in their abilities. Lewis sounds fantastic on the microphone too. He truly is the voice of L.A. Guns, with no knock to anyone that has fronted the band in the past. Relying heavily on the classics from the first couple of releases like “No Mercy,” “Rip and Tear,” “Kiss My Love Goodbye” and “Malaria” with newer fare “Don’t Look At Me That Way” from Waking the Dead and “Speed” from their new album they sound better than ever.
From time to time I will delve into live albums, and this was one in recent years that has struck me as a cut above and potentially a must have. I hate that Michael Grant is gone, but L.A. Guns are no strangers to band members parting of ways, controversial or not. If you’re a fan of these Glam masters, this is one I believe is worth adding to your collection. Made In Milan is the perfect reminder that this band knows how to offer a high energy show, as well as an extensive number of amazing songs spanning their 30-year career. Let’s hope there will be more killer music to come from these guys.
Written by: Chris Martin
Ratings: 8/10
About Author
