I love a young rock band that makes no apologies for who they are. Younger bands in this vein often seem to be half-ashamed they like to play riffs and often blend them with a liberal mix of secondary influences/sounds intended to expand their possible audience.
You won’t hear any of that with Pistols at Dawn. The band’s single “The Truth” is unabashed rock even if it does possess a thoroughly contemporary sound. I am blown away by how the band manages to have the best of both worlds; it’s a rugged reminder of the power of riff-driven guitar, ala a much earlier era in rock history, yet the lively rhythms, lyric content, and vocals are grounded in today.
The band made a big move by bringing vocalist Cris Hodges into the fold. Hodges, in the best possible way, is straight out of hard rock vocal central casting. I don’t know about his previous experience before joining Pistols at Dawn, but he comes across like a vocalist who should have been fronting the band from the beginning.
They are a young band with a surprisingly long history. The handful of singles and two EP’s the band has thus far released are enough, however, to establish Pistols at Dawn as one of the most ferociously personal and independent rock bands working today. If you are a fan of the genre, you’ve likely read and heard an assortment of stories or de-facto obituaries for the form. Pistols at Dawn, however, plays rock music like they are the only band on earth doing it.
The song’s powerful dynamics underline its lyrical message. The band has long since mastered the necessary vocabulary for presenting mature content in a genre once practically renowned for its lack of lyrical craftsmanship. It is not the same story anymore. You do not get any sense that the words are anything resembling an afterthought.
It ranks, instead, as an important statement. Delivering that statement inside an arrangement that makes the best possible use of shifting riffs at the right points, alternating textures from heavy to heavier, and incorporating the vocals with those crushing riffs in just the right way is an art. Pistols at Dawn has near-mastery of it. “The Truth” brings them one step closer to that tantalizing peak.
The song’s video helps bring them closer as well. Director Michael Mueller maintains a furious energy level from beginning to end and Robert Paraguassu’s visual special effects are often dazzling. Marrying the songwriting with compelling visuals builds on its appeal to listeners and the camera spends much of its time focusing on the band’s newcomer.
Hodges does not disappoint. The band, as a whole, never does. “The Truth” sets the stage perfectly for their album Ascension, set to drop on August 19th, and I get the feeling the world will be a very different place once the world gets to hear the complete work. “The Truth” is the point of the spear, draws blood, and leaves you wanting more.
Trace Whittaker
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