Gunslinger: Breaking Through

We all know that genre rules are made to be broken, but that doesn't stop a little knot of apprehension from forming in the pit of my stomach, when I'm led to believe that a band are "blending classic song structures and vocals with years of professional electronica dance experience". With few exceptions, myself and dance – any type of dance – do not get on. However like the genre rules, preconceptions are also made to broken and the DJs Anthem and Vidal who make up Gunslinger have achieved just that. Employing a keen, if somewhat bleak vocal style and smart commercial rock guitar attack, and then marrying both to thumping beats and electronic "noises", the Breaking Through album does a good job of living up to its name. First impressions find everything leaning too far into dance territory. Leading me to turn the volume on my car stereo right down in case anyone thought I was one of those ultra-annoying boy racer types with a full PA system in my boot, employed to simply THUMP-THUMP-THUMP! Stick with it though and the smart sense of melody that infuses the likes of "Breaking Through", "Busy Pop" and "Looking At You" proves to be surprisingly convincing and hypnotically seductive. Suddenly the volume was back up to asphalt shattering levels and I didn't care who could hear my car pound for all its life from a three streets distance.

Think Pendulum lite and you won't be far away with the sort of fare Gunslinger are serving up, the vibe of Breaking Through suggesting that the music housed here is as likely to carry a full festival audience along, as it is cause a storm in a sweaty, writhing nightclub. In fact there's even an argument to suggest that the likes of "Next In Line" was exactly the sort of effect Muse were aiming for on their latest outing, the collision of Dub, Dance and downright rock having the capability to cross genres in a way that with the correct exposure, could just well infiltrate the masses.

Gunslinger can't quite claim to be all things to all men, but they do have the ability to appeal to a huge cross section of different music lovers, if they have the patience to get past an initially frosty first impression.

Track Listing
1. Breaking Through
2. Surrender
3. Busy Pop
4. Next In Line
5. At The Top
6. Looking At You
7. Eternal
8. Open Flame

Added: June 8th 2013
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Gunslinger on Bandcamp
Hits: 2146
Language: english

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