Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
The darkness eludes our sights and true perception, the full brightness of a sun-soaked day can give rise the treachery of our ego as we blindly assume all is well and that there is no fault in the system; but in the Half Light, in the reflection that dusk reveals we can see with certainty the monsters hidden within, we can envisage the heroes fighting for our souls, and in the grey tide the shapes of those who carry the duties seriously as they parade the History of Guns in an effort to provide peace with the only shots fired being ones of original creativity and invention.
The conscious soul of History of Guns is such that the brand new release of Half Light is one enveloped by a considerable delight of exploration and high expectation; a belief that does not waver in the revolutionary stance that the band supplies, one that could be likened to in many respects to that of the Beat Poet Allan Ginsberg as he strode in a direction of performance that few would have ever contemplate.
For in such circumstances and powerful imagery, History of Guns have found it’s particular voice, the poetry within, to be far more enticing, the honesty of delivery through the industrial landscape is a reward for the free-spirited nature of each member of the group; but it is a kaleidoscope of expression, the poetry within the meaning that makes it an award of passion for the listener.
The sense of sanctuary that exists is equal to the demand for change; this is the balance of ambition to create uniqueness and the accountability that the group are willing to ensure they take to bring the project together.
This sense of equation is to be seen in the overall flow and resolution of the piece in name and deed, and in tracks such as No Longer Earthbound, All You Dream (You Can Never Have), When You Don’t Matter, the excellent Drug Castle and Arcadia, and the finale of An Invitation, the harbour of cool and prophet like is to be observed in its natural setting, the true vision of the dusk where everything is revealed, where our truth is set free.
A grand and elegant piece of humanity driven visions, this is place where the industrial meets the passion of such artist of Gary Numan and Pink Floyd in an amalgam of release; for the History of Guns, a new chapter, one to be read with delight.
Ian D. Hall