Pistols at Dawn don’t seem to care too much about becoming the pop/rock stereotype you’ve grown up with, and if that wasn’t more than obvious before the release of the video for their new single “Crown,” it’s going to be now that the song is attracting so much fanfare this spring season. Raining rock n’ roll lightning down upon anyone who happens to be listening, Pistols at Dawn force riff collisions like they’re cashing stimulus checks in this performance, relegating the melodic componentry to the front of the mix while the back is always devoted to one thing and one thing alone – heavy metal thunder.
WEBSITE: https://www.pistolsatdawnband.com/
The video for “Crown” is perhaps bolder than its source material in one way – it’s using imagery to advance the narrative, where none of the other tracks on Pistols at Dawn’s new record Nocturnal Youth needs a visual counterpart to make their intentions clear to the audience. It’s hard to dismiss their ambitiousness and youthful spunk in “Gone Black,” “Now Is the Time” or “Voices” mostly because of how effectively and efficiently they’re putting it into practice here. They’re determined, and that determination could be just what they need to break out of their shell in 2021.
As a 1990s kid aging into a world that has become increasingly rejectionist towards any guitar-centric songcraft, it’s nice to come across a band like Pistols at Dawn who actually care about making something loud, proud, and untainted by the synth and sample parts that have become regular features in almost every pop release out today. They’re out for blood whether they’re owning the stage or rocking out in the recording studio like no other bands in their scene has for years now, and that’s going to get a lot of fans excited about the prospect of seeing them on the road later this year.
Kim Muncie