It's been a big year for Liverpool's Sound of Guns. A breakthrough set at last year's Radio One Big Weekend, an appearance in the Guardian's 'New Band of the Day' series, and tips for big things from Q Magazine, and Rocksound have all contributed to the buzz ahead of their debut album What Came From Fire.
Comparisons to global superstar stadium rockers U2 have become obligatory when describing SoG's sound, and the parallels are certainly there to be hear. Big reverbed guitars, soaring rock vocals, and a penchant for the epic.
First single Architects was released on the 21st June, preceeding the album by a week, and it's a perfect example of what SoG are all about. The sheer scale of Archtitects is impressive, it's a song designed to blast out to a stadium full of fans.
High Points
Sound of Guns, on their first album, are already masters of the hook-laden rock anthem. The bombastic Collisions is hewn from the same stuff as the afforementioned Architects, another slice of radio-friendly rock that will have you singing along.
To prove that they aren't all one paced, that is followed by the slower burning 106 (Still the Words), which packs a bit of an emotional, and well as acoustic punch. The longest track on What Came From Fire, this would have been the end of Side A on an old LP, and it serves nicely to punctuate the rhythym of the album.
The Verdict
What Came From Fire is a solid effort from Sound of Guns, to produce a album of anthemic rock material with such assurance is impressive for a first release. But there isn't enough originality or ingenuity on display here to really recommend Sound of Guns to anyone except fans of the genre. You get the impression that their only realistic chance of playing to a packed out Wembley stadium will be as a support act for U2's next world tour.
Final Score: 57%
Comparisons to global superstar stadium rockers U2 have become obligatory when describing SoG's sound, and the parallels are certainly there to be hear. Big reverbed guitars, soaring rock vocals, and a penchant for the epic.
First single Architects was released on the 21st June, preceeding the album by a week, and it's a perfect example of what SoG are all about. The sheer scale of Archtitects is impressive, it's a song designed to blast out to a stadium full of fans.
High Points
Sound of Guns, on their first album, are already masters of the hook-laden rock anthem. The bombastic Collisions is hewn from the same stuff as the afforementioned Architects, another slice of radio-friendly rock that will have you singing along.
To prove that they aren't all one paced, that is followed by the slower burning 106 (Still the Words), which packs a bit of an emotional, and well as acoustic punch. The longest track on What Came From Fire, this would have been the end of Side A on an old LP, and it serves nicely to punctuate the rhythym of the album.
The Verdict
What Came From Fire is a solid effort from Sound of Guns, to produce a album of anthemic rock material with such assurance is impressive for a first release. But there isn't enough originality or ingenuity on display here to really recommend Sound of Guns to anyone except fans of the genre. You get the impression that their only realistic chance of playing to a packed out Wembley stadium will be as a support act for U2's next world tour.
Final Score: 57%
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