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History of Guns

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History Of Guns are an English hybrid band combining elements of industrial, punk, electronica, rock, avant-garde and goth who formed in 1996. Their name comes from the title of one of their earliest songs, written about the Dunblane massacre

Biography

The Stagger Years

The band was formed in February 1996 by Stagger Lee, under the name Pre Hate Machine. Original lineup: Del Alien - vocals, Stagger Lee - bass guitar, Max Rael - keyboards, Malcolm the drum machine, plus a succession of guitarists none of whom remained with the band for more than a few rehearsals. After a few months Del Alien renamed the band 'History Of Guns' after a song written about the Dunblane Massacre.

Their first visit to a recording studio resulted in Reformation Day a 5-track demo recorded in Tottenham, which included a very early version of the track 'History Of Guns'.

After Reformation Day, the band began experimenting with longer, more freeform pieces of music. The band experimented with altered states of consiousness and frequently rehearsed through the night jamming over the same riff for extended periods of time.

Around this time Gary 'The Reverend' Hughes joined the band as a regular part-time member playing guitar on and off (and has continued to do so ever since.)

The band signed up with Top Knotch Management in 1997 and under the guidance of their manager recorded a second demo Sold On Secrets in a Chelmsford recording studio. Although two of the four recorded songs ('Distance Moving' and 'No One Dies') were originally written in a much longer form, their manager persuaded them to drastically reduce their length which led to the first of many band arguments. The other two recorded songs ('Cyber' and 'Drip Fed') were much more successful, but the band's management lost the only DAT which contained the finished mixes. All that survived from this session was an audio cassette tape which omits the track 'Cyber'.

Demoralised by the experience (both artistically and financially), Del Alien and Stagger Lee began arguing whenever they met and rehearsals became fewer and further apart. They entered a recording studio one final time in Sync City to record 'Secret Garden' for the Godreah compilation CD 'Contains No Holy Additive - Part Two' as well as two unused tracks 'The Touch', and 'Shallow'. Of all the songs officially recorded during this early phase of History Of Guns, 'Shallow', recorded live in one take is the only one that captures the long freeform improvisational nature of so many of the rehearsals.

In 1999 Max Rael got a home PC, and began using Cubase. The band began recording using computer based technology. The main advantage of this was that Del Alien and Stagger Lee could record separately, so they didn't have to meet as often.

The first track recorded in this fashion was 'Random Death Bag' which appeared on the third installment of the No Holy Additive compilation CD from Godreah Zine, followed by the Little Miss Suicide EP which was released on the newly formed Liquid Len record label, and an unreleased demo album called 'Enough Is Too Much LP'.

Stagger Lee quit the band with the release of their first CD, Little Miss Suicide EP in 1999.

Liquid Len

With Stagger Lee gone History Of Guns ceased to exist for a while. In 2001 Godreah zine contacted the band with a request for them to appear on the fourth and final installment of the No Holy Additive compilation CD. Del Alien and Max Rael recorded Reconstructing Terror, and with renewed confidence finished off a couple of remaining Stagger tracks (57 Days and Burn) and recorded two more brand new tracks (Fact and Disconnect) which eventually got released as the Disconnect EP by the Liquid Len record label in 2002.

History Of Guns were unsuccessful in their attempts to recruit a full band at this time but Kevin Gerrish joined the band briefly during the writing and recording of The Mirror Pond LP. Weeks before its release History Of Guns issued a press released saying that they'd been "consumed by business rhetoric" and were thus "downsizing the album into an EP". Although the majority of the rest of the tracks remain unreleased, the track 'Psycho' was included as a bonus track on the second edition of the CD which followed six months after it's initial release.

Flashes/Apophenia

Having failed to recruit a new lineup, History Of Guns completed their debut album Flashes Of Light as a duo in 2004. The album made minimal use of guitars, instead the band produced a dense slab of atmospheric dark electronica. It was structured with two long songs, four short songs, and two long songs. The long songs being Flashes Of Light Parts 1, 2,3 and 4.

Finally recruiting a live band in 2004 the band began to perform gigs around the south east of England as an edgy punk band, not performing any of the songs from their debut album.

Their second official album Apophenia was released in November 2005.

Responding to an interview with Dark Futures zine in which History Of Guns said they worked very quickly, to which the interviewer replied "how did it take two years to make your new album then?" History Of Guns announced a series of free limited edition bi-monthly CDs, starting with the March 2006 release UDDERS available via their website.

In April 2006 they played their debut at the infamous Whitby Gothic Weekend.

Current line-up

  • Del Alien: Vocals (1996-now)
  • Max Rael: Guitars, synths, programming (1996-now)
  • Fester: Guitar (2004-now)
  • Goose: bass guitar (on and off 2003-now)
  • Gary 'The Reverend' Hughes: drums (2004-now)

Former/past member(s)

Discography

Studio Releases

Free EP Series

Demos

Compilations

Remixes

(as Remixing artists)

(as artists being Remixed)

  • LMS - Track Little Miss Suicide Remixed by Gary Hughes 2001
  • Spoonburn - Track Moonburn remixed by Daniel Vincent 2004
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