L.A. Guns Drop a “Cannonball” of a New Song

Something about 2021, perhaps as a direct reaction to the insanity of 2020 (not that things have abated much since), has made my musical tastes revert inwards towards more comfortable pastures instead of pushing forward into new territory like I usually do. A lot of my favorite records of the year so far (here’s my list as of July) are hardly even metal by today’s standards.

On that note, I’m super into the new L.A. Guns record! For those keeping track, this is the version of the band now featuring both namesake guitarist Tracii Guns and classic vocalist Phil Lewis. And since I’m a super-special press person I’ve already heard the whole thing despite its official release date being two months away… and it rocks!

“Cannonball,” the band’s newest single, is as good an example of what’s on the album as any: it’s got a killer, bluesy guitar riff, an up-tempo groove and a catchy hook that’ll get your head boppin’ and your feet tappin’. As MS co-founder Axl Rosenberg observed when the last single, “Knock Me Down,” came out, “fans who felt let down by the experimentalism GN’R demonstrated on [new song] ‘Absurd‘ will especially enjoy the vintage, no-B.S. feel of L.A. Guns’ [new material].”

Give “Cannonball” a spin below. Checkered Past comes out on November 12 via Frontiers (who else?); pre-order here.

L.A. Guns Tour Dates:

November 12, Indio, CA, Fantasy Springs Resort Casino [tickets]
November 26, San Juan Capistrano, CA, Coach House [tickets]
November 27, Long Beach, CA, Gaslamp [tickets]
December 3, Las Vegas, NV, Count’s Vamp’d [tickets]
December 4, Las Vegas, NV, Count’s Vamp’d [tickets]
December 31, West Hollywood, CA, Whisky A Go Go [tickets]
Feb 9-14, Port of Miami, FL, Monsters of Rock Cruise 2022 [book]