It’s always nice to hear something slightly different and nuanced in this overcrowded scene and Horley’s Armstrong Gun are the needed breath of fresh air. The band is presently a duo, consisting of band founder Lewis Tocker (vocals, drums and bass) and Aaron Sharma (guitars). Three years ago, they released a self-titled debut, showing a style heavily influenced from late Seventies/ early Eighties NWOBHM, mainly mid-tempo, with a solid hard rock aesthetic.
The second album, also self-produced, is called The Fearsome Age and is yet to be released in physical format. Songs like The Axe Is On The Oak or Saxon Queen are heavily influenced by early Tygers Of Pan Tang, Saxon, Budgie and even Krokus, with a lot of melody but also grit in the guitar riffs. Thrall To Woe and Fight To Thrive both feature some excellent guitar parts, power-chord build-up and also very tasteful solos.
Thunderfield and In The Teeth Of The Gale are a bit speedier, heavier, as if lifted from a long-forgotten early Def Leppard recording session. I have to compliment the amazing production and warm, organic sound this album has, really transporting me back to that early golden era of our beloved genre. Sure, Armstrong Gun are playing a style we know quite well and already possess as part of our treasured collections, but, as I mentioned earlier, this is a slightly different, hard rock, stripped-down-to-the essence approach, which I appreciate highly.
Album closer Enter The Fold brings classic Tank to mind, being the speediest number out of the eight songs in The Fearsome Age. I don’t need to add anything more – you got the point here: if you are tired of dusting off and playing early Eighties records you know by heart anyway, check out Armstrong Gun and show these boys some support. They know what they are doing and they do it very, very well.
8/10
The Fearsome Age is now digitally and you can buy or listen to it HERE
