Band: The Gun Show
Title: Currents
Label: Unsigned
Release Date: March 2, 2010 (Digital)
Review By: Steve
Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Currents
3. Boom City
4. Slow Motion Suffocation
5. The Adegan System
6. Founded Upon The Sea
7. Outro
I recently got a heads up from a good friend about some bands to check out and review on IVM. My friend is normally a reliable source, but upon first listening to The Gun Show, I was like “What is this junk!” However, after several spins, The Gun Show really started to grow on me, and that is why I never write a review on just a few listens. I love the name The Gun Show. It always brings images of out of shape men wearing a sleeveless shirt with “Two Tickets To A Gun Show” written on the front and a fanny pack around the waste. Usually the only people that wear a shirt like that are people without “guns.” Anyways The Gun Show may not wear those cheesy shirts but they do open up on you with guns a blazing.
The Gun Show is a metalcore band out of Ohio that is not your run of the mill generic metalcore. After a few listens to Currents, I really started to dig the heavy drums and the sharp bursting guitar riffs. I would say the only thing about their music that might be a negative is that many of the tracks sound the same after a while; however, that is common for tons of good bands so I do not really count that against them.
Vocalist Tom Hirst has a great voice that is pleasing to metalcore ears. The Gun Show also mixes in some clean, spoken, and gang vocals throughout most of the tracks. I am not a big fan of the clean vocals because on some of the tracks it kind of takes away from the brutality of the track, but I like the spoken and gang vocals. Lyrically, The Gun Show definitely does not shy away from the “J” word at all. The title track “Currents” is a really brutal prayer and definitely sets the tone for the rest of the EP. Tom screams, “So in the name of Jesus Christ I stand bold in that power and come against anything that isn’t of God, and in His name anyone who hears this song with an open heart in concordance with the mighty will of God is delivered.” “Currents” is one of the best songs on the EP because of the prayer and lack of clean vocals. The other stand out track is “The Adegan System,” which speaks out against the vanity of this world and has the best breakdown on the EP where Tom screams “Oh Jezebel! I will break thy spell, Oh Jezebel, you are done” and then the rest of The Gun Show just go crazy with the breakdown. I am sure that part will be very crowd-pleasing.
Overall: this is one solid EP from an up and coming band. I would encourage any metal/hardcore fan to give these guys a listen and support their music. The vocals and instruments are great and really make you want to get up and move around. Currents will be released digitally on March 2nd and hard copies will be available at their shows