Stick To Your Guns

Stick To Your Guns
Played at Graspop Metal Meeting 2018





Melodic hardcore/metalcore fans will be chuffed to see Stick to Your Guns on the bill. Vocalist/guitarist Jesse Barnett founded the Californian band in 2003 and when their debut ‘For What It’s Worth’ dropped two years later, their determined and energetic brand of hardcore struck a nerve with the hardcore crowd. Gang chants, a rhythm section as tight as a duck’s arse, the twin guitar attack and just enough of a modern spin on old school tactics to keep things interesting: check! The more brutal passages are reminiscent of Hatebreed whereas the melodic parts sound like a slightly heavier version of Ignite. Their last two CDs, ’Disobedient’ (2015) and ‘True View’ (2017) have more clean vocals than their earlier work without sounding cheesy or disturbing the precarious balance between the two. Their latest outing in particular is many-layered and overall less heavy than their early work but the album sounds all the more diverse for it. Add in Barnett’s honestly introspective lyrics and you know why Stick to Your Guns is a top draw in the genre.