Sixgun Renegades: ‘Sixgun Renegades’
SIXGUN RENEGADES
SIXGUN RENEGADES
Released on January 26, 2018 (V.R. Label Finland)
Review:
Yet another Scandinavian entry to the sleaze genre, this quartet from Helsinki, Finland has released its self-titled debut album, and it is interesting. As I was prepping to write this review, Frankie Banali was quoted in an article for Blabbermouth, encouraging “Fans To See Classic Rock Acts While They Still Can: ‘There May Not Be A Next Time’.” While I understand his sentiment — the old guys are dying off — there is a solid market of current bands producing ’80s based hard rock that ultimately fills the gap. Sure, they may not have the nostalgia effect that us older people relate to, but at the same time, imagine if you were 17 again, listening to Crazy Lixx, Hell In The Club, The Wild! or even Sixgun Renegades for the first time. I think the “wow” factor would kick in pretty quick. There are so many bands who draw real influences from our old-school Mötley Crüe, Tesla, Ratt, etc. Frankly, as much as I love those old bands, some of these new recruits excite me just as much when done right. Sixgun Renegades are one of those bands.
The sound on this nine track album is really good. The quality of production allows every instrument to stand out. Even if a band is solid, the tracks suffer if not recorded and produced properly. But the Sixgun album has been done right. To the album then. Opening track — “Renegade” — rides like a Harley with no brakes. Niko’s vocals are a tad understated — he’s no Vince Neil –-but it works, since the guitars ultimately carry this track to its driving conclusion. “My Way Or The Highway” is Ratt-esque for any fan of their early output. There is a bit of Skid Row or Guns N’ Roses involved with “Unbreakable”, some of which is offset by the odd bridge change, but overall, I like it.
I would place the quasi-ballad “Lost And Found” somewhere around Whitesnake territory. The acoustic guitar sounds great, and is never drowned out by the drums or lost amongst the electrics. Again, Niko’s vocal is reserved but solid. “Loaded Gun” is high-octane during the intro, with a twist during the verse, and something of a sing-along chorus. What I found interesting is how Sixgun put it all together into a workable song. Good on them.
The bluesy shuffle of “Scream N Shout” is classic ’80s fare. That’s a little unfair, since the crunchy guitar stands out as a more modern twist on those old blues ripoffs. There’s a jazzy component to the verses that also appeals to me. Continuing along the blues trend, “Rock City Blues” is run of the mill stuff, much like a Deep Purple filler track. Nothing very interesting to hear here that hasn’t been done before, by better bands.
I love the sound of the instrumentation on “All For One” — how the drums and bass work together, and the crunchy guitars kick in. For better or worse, once the track develops, it reminds me of mid ’80s KISS… a little too limp to support the opening. Thing is, hitting the 2:30 mark, it hits into a full sleaze track, as opposed to the earlier section and almost becomes a new song. Should have gone with the latter from the beginning. The closing cut — “Here To Stay” — puts this whole album on something of a curve. Sixgun started strong, lost a bit of momentum, then peaked again, only to fall off dramatically. “Here To Stay” is a simplistic and generic shot at 1983. All the song lacks is a keyboard to put it over the edge into Survivor territory. That may be a bit harsh, but this isn’t my favourite album cut.
I really like most of this first full-length effort from Sixgun Renegades. It’s polished, well produced and nicely executed. Maybe they need a tad more focus on what their core sound should be. Either way, this could be a band to watch.
Track List:
01. Renegade
02. My Way Or The Highway
03. Unbreakable
04. Lost And Found
05. Loaded Gun
06. Scream N’ Shout
07. Rock City Blues
08. All For One… None for All
09. Here to Stay
Band Members:
Teemu Räty – drums
Niko Räty – lead vocals, lead guitar
Samu Tuomi – guitar
Miko Mattila – bass
Band Websites:
Official Website
Facebook
Reviewed by Metal Mike for Sleaze Roxx, February 2018
Sixgun Renegades‘ “Loaded Gun” lyric video:
Sixgun Renegades – Loaded Gun (Official Lyric Video)
First single from the debut album ‘Sixgun Renegades’ out in January 2018.© & ℗ V.R. Label Finland 2017Produced by Mark Bertenyi and Tuomas RiihimäkiRecorded …
Sixgun Renegades‘ “Unbreakable” video:
Sixgun Renegades – Unbreakable (Official Music Video)
© & ℗ V.R. Label Finland 2016Listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/track/4OM1IXmeFfjM1X2Pc4iNUDJoin on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/SGRbandhttps://…
Sixgun Renegades‘ “Renegade” video:
Sixgun Renegades – Renegade Official Music Video
SIXGUN RENEGADES- RENEGADE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO//BIG TROUBLE EP OUT NOW//Get it on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/album/6IQwbafhMjcB3F5vyoxdS0Itunes:https:…