History of Guns Unveil New Single ‘When You Don’t Matter’
Hertfordshire’s History of Guns has established itself as a musical chameleon, much like bands such as Killing Joke and Nine Inch Nails. Throughout their journey from goth rock to post-punk, darkwave, EDM, and a broader electro-goth hybrid, they have maintained a distinct identity. Their work is characterized by a tension of opposites, driven by electronic beats with vocals that uncoil like a serpent over steady electronic rhythms. Amplify Music Magazine describes them as “Polished, dramatic, full of poise and binding sentiment, and one of awesome sound and feeling.”
The legendary 90s industrial band, History of Guns, has released a new single titled “When You Don’t Matter.” This track is the second preview from their upcoming album “Half Light,” following the lead track “No Longer Earthbound.” The album continues the band’s tradition of exploring themes of abandonment and existential angst.
Set to be their eighth album, “Half Light” will be released via the Liquid Len Recording Company. This record showcases their unique meta-modernist industrial sound. After a hiatus from 2012 to 2022, History of Guns returned with the album “Forever Dying In Your Eyes” and resumed work on an electronic project that began in 2008. The result is “Half Light,” produced by Max Rael, mixed by Max Rael and Caden Clarkson, and mastered by Pete Maher, who has worked with U2, Pixies, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, and Nine Inch Nails.
Formed in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, in 1996, History of Guns was a leading act in the UK’s Wasp Factory/FuturePunk scene of the early 2000s. Their 2004 single “Your Obedient Servant” was hailed by The Quietus and Mick Mercer as one of the “thirty best goth singles of all time.”
For “Half Light,” founding members Del Alien (vocals) and Max Rael (keyboards, programming) are joined by guitarist Caden Clarkson. Their music delves into the human condition through various genres. Del Alien, originally a punk turned goth, is known for his anti-authority stance and quest for deeper truths. Max Rael, an autistic, music-obsessed child who transitioned from Britpop to trance, aims to create immersive musical universes.
Max Rael comments, “I think most people know of either a moment or a longer period when you’re on your own, and no one knows where you are, how you are, or even if you’re alive or dead. This song is like a History of Guns version of a ballad about abandonment. We create beauty only to smash it. From an existential point of view, maybe we don’t matter. We are meaning-seeking creatures in a world with no objective meaning, so we have to find a way to matter to ourselves.”
Del Alien adds, “It’s about the futile attempt to help others, whether they realize it or not. It’s not personal. This is what society has done to us. Is it worth pondering? Getting cold in a box only to be burned and scattered, ending up in the mouth of a dying junkie… or sleeping with the sanest lunatic you ever met, but finding no one there to make you breakfast. If the product isn’t good from the start, how can it be in the end? Losing your footing just to hold another’s hand.”
Influenced by bands like Killing Joke, PWEI, Bauhaus, Coil, Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy, Nine Inch Nails, and Swans, History of Guns was a significant part of the UK’s underground industrial scene in the 2000s, performing at Whitby Gothic Weekend and various Futurepunk events.
As of May 20, “When You Don’t Matter” is available on major music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp, where the “Half Light” album, set to release on June 20, can be pre-ordered.
ALBUM CREDITS
- Produced by Max Rael
- Mixed by Max Rael and Caden Clarkson
- Recorded at Apollo Audio (Hertford) and Soul Studios (Bishops Stortford)
- Mastered by Pete Maher
- Del Alien – vocals
- Max Rael – keyboards, programming, guitars
- Caden Clarkson – guitar
- Andy Webster & Marnie from SPUCKTUTE – vocals on ‘Never Give it Up’
- Amon Ásentir & Mark Eris from Xykogen – vocals on ‘Arcadia’
- Arcadia Choir (Emma Mills, Priyanka O’Neill, Sohm O’Neill, and Ninotschka G.) – vocals on ‘Arcadia’
- Nykky Spectre – vocals on ‘An Invitation’
- Cover artwork by Amara O’Neill
- Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
TRACK LIST
- No Longer Earthbound (Alien/Rael)
- Never Give it Up (Alien/Rael)
- All You Dream (You Will Never Have) (Rael)
- What’s Buried (Will Rise) (Rael)
- Flashes of Light (Pt. 5) (Alien/Rael)
- When You Don’t Matter (Alien/Rael)
- Arcadia (Rael)
- Drug Castle (Alien/Clarkson/Rael)
- Survive the Night (Alien/Clarkson/Rael)
- An Invitation (Alien/Rael/Spectre)
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