Orange County’s Stick To Your Guns offer their 2015 dose of disobedience. How do the anthems of defiance sound in 2015 after their successful Diamond?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMdzBYI1Ip4
https://vimeo.com/119081469
Text Review:
Music can be a tool used to inspire and ignite your feelings. It doesn’t always have to be about shaking off haters and instructions on how to talk to a woman. There have been many times where music, especially in the rock scene, that music has been used as a tool to point out current social problems and acknowledge that people can have issues that are not being addressed.
Whether it’s the peaceful songs from Woodstock or the enraged anthems from Rage Against The Machine, music is one of the best tools for catharsis that is universally accepted and felt. The punk and hardcore scene have especially excelled in this field, and Stick To your Guns are a name known for being volatile and lively bands.
Disobedient, the bands fifth studio album definitely fits the image of standing up for yourselves and defying inner oppression. Just one look at the cover with the album title on the bottom is proof that this album is loud and stands for something. It’s not the typical “edge or a revolution” generic style that people may think has substance. Disobedient and Stick to your guns is something to scream along with and connect to.
Back in October of 2014 the music video for Nobody was released. Although the video chronicles the life of a faceless teen struggling to survive and find an identity, lyrically this song fits many more instances than adolescent angst. Being proud to be Nobody and being yourself at the same time is a lesson I think many people come to terms with at one point, even if it’s hard to explain.
Just from the beginning you can hear how strong the instruments come through. The bass is powerful and carries this song and the volume picks up at the perfect rhythm. Jesse Barnett’s vocals come out clear even when screamed and the chorus stands out as a banner for a message that Stick To Your Guns is best at delivering.
Songs like Nobody can define a sub genre and album. It’s the type of song when someone hears it they will immediately go buy or listen to the rest of the album to check it out. With every element on fire in a song like this it can stand as not only a concert staple but also a defining song that people will remember the group for.
While some tracks on the album range in theme from being faceless to revolution to motivation, the theme that underlies the tracklist is that of having to be disobedient. It never leaves your memory while listening to the album from beginning to end.
Like the song Nobody, many tracks like What Choice Did You Give Us and Nothing You Can Do To Me seem louder than life and have a pulse raising rhythm. It is very difficult to sit still while listening to them.
Hearing What Choice Did You Give us chanted before the closing guitars of the song feels like an advertisement of what Stick To Your Guns represents. It’s the type of anger and energy behind music that isn’t seen as much in mainstream/radio rock anymore. While the song clocks in at just under three minutes, it feels powerful enough to leave a lasting impression in a very short time.
If I had one complaint about the album it would be that the song and album length feel a bit short. With two tracks being under one and a half minutes it can make you want more. While some tracks also include motivational and historical speeches including the famous Charlie Chaplain machine’s speech, it should still be noted that even in the short tracks there is a never a feeling of poor quality or just filling space.
The image and presence of Stick To Your Guns may not be for everyone. The casual alternative and feel good rock fans may not be so amped when hearing songs about defiance and standing up for yourself. But to many people, these are the lyrics and music to motivate people for years.
Overall, if you have enjoyed anything from Stick To Your Guns in the past or are a diehard for the hardcore scene, then you should definitely listen to Disobedient. This album stands as another example that music can be used a form of expression in unity and self-realization.
