- Jun 26, 2003
- 376
- 2
- 18
History of Guns - The Mirror Pond
"You're not set in stone, don't stand alone, you're screaming inside with no place to hide. Confusion. This world is fed on confusion'
A famous author once wrote that he who can write an honest work would write a masterpiece. History of Guns are an honest band. Forgoing the de rigeur of two decades of Metal-dogma and genre formulaics, this band function at a far more immediate level, exploring the trials of a modern existence in haunting musical exposition.
Such a portrait requires the blurring of barriers between mental process and composition. Themes are drawn from painfully close to the heart, only to be arrayed in a pastiche of humorous yet biting lyrical fragments; like profundity expressed in the mess on your primary-school toilet ceiling the first time you discovered the art of soggy paper flicking. Whereas much Modernist writing struggles to represent the inner conscience through the confining medium of text - Stein and Joyce in particular eventually wholly abandoning traditional grammar - History of Guns, like Godflesh and Whitehouse before them, have realised the advantage of expressing such an inner world aesthetically through music.
As with most great (and this is indeed great) records, the spark of genius is ignited through contrast. In this case, the fragmentary, stream-of-consciousness style lyrics are narrated over an often serene and soothing backing of industrial minimalism. Del Alien's vocals are afforded a heightened poignancy and realism by the unashamedly English diction, sounding brave and fragile in their quirky exploration of inner fear in realising, 'this isn't how it was supposed to be, they force me away to their world'.
'Compassion Fatigue' deals with the dilemma posed by Madox Ford's Soul Of London, which forces one to 'pipe one's own tune' over the background of suffering, pain and detachment which comprises the modern metropolis. As is so aptly surmised here, 'you can't care about everything, so what you gonna care about?'. The only coping strategy seems to be cold detatchment.
The title track is the album's masterpiece, brilliantly using the myth of Narcissus to challenge contemporary society into taking responsibility for itself. Perhaps with the voice of a long distant ancestor, lyrics almost accusingly state: 'it's your age'. The Mirror Pond casts a reflection of our own making, distorted by the confusion of the endlessly fragmented narratives that form the constructs of our daily life. In a world driven by commerce and populated by blank faces starting into television screens, escape seems rooted in its own downfall; exemplified in the hollow proclamation of victory - 'I'm already on T.V.'.
This work challenges the very concept of self-identity by narrating from the perspective of the pond itself, and in a moving climax concludes, in true Post-Modernist style, that everything is 'fed on confusion'. There is no over-arching narrative of progress or Hegelian goal, only the detached, media-driven world in which we find ourselves. What answers can we find? Leading us through a self-examinatory journey to a point of realisation, profound in its complete nothingness: this album challenges the listener to complete the last line himself.
"We are guilty of "
History of Guns have matured into a truly special band. Likely to provoke hugely divided reactions, this work is delivered with an endearing subtlety and quiet intelligence which is wholly free of pretence, scene politics or arrogant posturing. Seemingly unspectacular upon first listen, The Mirror Pond rewards with each repeat outing, growing into a haunting musical and even spiritual journey, moving, dare one say it, towards the realm of genius.
www.historyofguns.com
"You're not set in stone, don't stand alone, you're screaming inside with no place to hide. Confusion. This world is fed on confusion'
A famous author once wrote that he who can write an honest work would write a masterpiece. History of Guns are an honest band. Forgoing the de rigeur of two decades of Metal-dogma and genre formulaics, this band function at a far more immediate level, exploring the trials of a modern existence in haunting musical exposition.
Such a portrait requires the blurring of barriers between mental process and composition. Themes are drawn from painfully close to the heart, only to be arrayed in a pastiche of humorous yet biting lyrical fragments; like profundity expressed in the mess on your primary-school toilet ceiling the first time you discovered the art of soggy paper flicking. Whereas much Modernist writing struggles to represent the inner conscience through the confining medium of text - Stein and Joyce in particular eventually wholly abandoning traditional grammar - History of Guns, like Godflesh and Whitehouse before them, have realised the advantage of expressing such an inner world aesthetically through music.
As with most great (and this is indeed great) records, the spark of genius is ignited through contrast. In this case, the fragmentary, stream-of-consciousness style lyrics are narrated over an often serene and soothing backing of industrial minimalism. Del Alien's vocals are afforded a heightened poignancy and realism by the unashamedly English diction, sounding brave and fragile in their quirky exploration of inner fear in realising, 'this isn't how it was supposed to be, they force me away to their world'.
'Compassion Fatigue' deals with the dilemma posed by Madox Ford's Soul Of London, which forces one to 'pipe one's own tune' over the background of suffering, pain and detachment which comprises the modern metropolis. As is so aptly surmised here, 'you can't care about everything, so what you gonna care about?'. The only coping strategy seems to be cold detatchment.
The title track is the album's masterpiece, brilliantly using the myth of Narcissus to challenge contemporary society into taking responsibility for itself. Perhaps with the voice of a long distant ancestor, lyrics almost accusingly state: 'it's your age'. The Mirror Pond casts a reflection of our own making, distorted by the confusion of the endlessly fragmented narratives that form the constructs of our daily life. In a world driven by commerce and populated by blank faces starting into television screens, escape seems rooted in its own downfall; exemplified in the hollow proclamation of victory - 'I'm already on T.V.'.
This work challenges the very concept of self-identity by narrating from the perspective of the pond itself, and in a moving climax concludes, in true Post-Modernist style, that everything is 'fed on confusion'. There is no over-arching narrative of progress or Hegelian goal, only the detached, media-driven world in which we find ourselves. What answers can we find? Leading us through a self-examinatory journey to a point of realisation, profound in its complete nothingness: this album challenges the listener to complete the last line himself.
"We are guilty of "
History of Guns have matured into a truly special band. Likely to provoke hugely divided reactions, this work is delivered with an endearing subtlety and quiet intelligence which is wholly free of pretence, scene politics or arrogant posturing. Seemingly unspectacular upon first listen, The Mirror Pond rewards with each repeat outing, growing into a haunting musical and even spiritual journey, moving, dare one say it, towards the realm of genius.
www.historyofguns.com
