L.A. Guns has been rocking the world for over three decades and over that time the band has seen many lineup changes and for a while, we had two factions of L.A. Guns touring at the same time. Those days of separate factions are gone and we have the two main forces behind L.A. Guns, lead singer Phil Lewis and lead guitarist Tracii Guns joining with Johnny Martin on bass guitar, Shane Fitzgibbon on drums and Ace Von Johnson on rhythm guitar. They have put together their creative talents to make ‘The Devil You Know’, the twelfth album in the L.A. Guns library.
L.A. Guns originated in the heart of the gritty and glam rock era in Los Angeles, California in the 1980s where bands wanted to be known as hard rockers but also knew that ballads and sex appeal draw bigger crowds. With ‘The Devil You Know’, you will definitely feel the grittiness and good ole days of rock and roll back from the 1980s but you’ll also hear the evolution and innovation of the vocals of Phil Lewis and guitar mastery of Tracii Guns.
The first track, “Rage”, waste no time ripping into the riffs as it comes out swinging. Quickly a favorite of mine on this album. The fast-paced guitars along with Lewis’ vocals matching right along make this a great driving song going over the speed limit on the open highway.
“Stay Away” keeps that upbeat tempo going but with some tuning changes on the guitars to push out a lower heavier feel. “Loaded Bomb” combines airy guitar work with crunchy riffs and fast yet smooth vocals.
Fans of the 1980’s hard rock genre will hear the essence of other bands like Guns N Roses, W.A.S.P. and Motley Crue as they listen to the songs on ‘The Devil You Know’. The album has that new but familiar sound to it. So, you shouldn’t worry about getting duped into buying an album only to find out that L.A. Guns has gone polka. Sticking to tried and true rock and roll methods, L.A. Guns has put together a very solid album.
“Needle To The Bone” and “Gone Honey” along with the songs I mentioned before will easily be crowd favorites to sing along to. “Another Season In Hell” slows down the pace which only showcases Tracii Guns awesome guitar work and Lewis’ vocal ability to adapt and excel in executing various vocal ranges.
There’s plenty of great rock coming from L.A. Guns, who knows what it takes to make a great song to get people interested and involved. ‘The Devil You Know’ is an album made by a rock band that knows what rock fans want. On March 29th, 2019, don’t have a nervous breakdown, get yourself the new L.A. Guns album and enjoy some fine new classic rock.