What do you get when you mix Leeds Hard Rock band, GENTLEMANS PISTOLS, with Bill Steer of CARCASS?

...GENTLEMANS PISTOLS.

Formed in 2003, the band have just added a third album to their burgeoning discography, entitled "Hustler's Row". Bill Steer, having also played on this record, debuted with the band in 2009 and played on their second release, "At Her Majesty's Pleasure".

For those wanting to escape the overflow of 'American Rock', I would implore that you explore this band's work. "Hustler's Row" tends to dance around airy, rock anthems reminiscent of LED ZEPELLIN; the opening track on the album, "The Searcher", bursts with energy and the sepia tones of the 70s and rather sets the scene for the album. Noted from the start is the fantastic bass work, the warm noodlings mixed relatively high to punctuate the colourful riffs. Up next, however, is a groovy number that is heavily-steeped in catchy Blues-Rock; "Devil's Advocate On Call" has its poignant lyrics delivered wonderfully through James Atkinson's unusual-yet-melodic vocals, carried on that archetypal dum-de-dum-de-dum riff, in which the delicious leads shine in a blaze of glory.

"Stress And Confusion" is soon to be on offer as something a little different, and might just be one of the best tracks on the release. Performed at a drastically lower tempo, it offers much more room for dynamism in the riffs and vocal deliveries, and that is just what is at hand. It is a piece that subtly evolves, seemingly one slow, slowly-creeping crescendo, leaving a rather raucous surprise as it closes. "Personal Fantasy Wonderland" and the closing track, "So Long Fade Away" would easily be my next picks. The former runs a series of delicious, fluent and masterful licks and riffs that traverses a range of different Rock styles, even hinting at proto forms of NWOBHM; definitely the album's 'one metal (almost) track'. The latter is somewhat reminiscent of the previous half-ballad, but tends to cross in an out of acoustic, solemn passages and frantic runs of in-your-face, heavy Blues.

Let's be honest; it's about time we started thinking of Bill other than just being 'CARCASS' guitarist'; it is clear from GENTLEMANS PISTOLS that he's one hell of a classic Rock Guitarist, as if that wasn't evident from FIREBIRD, and GENTLEMANS PISTOLS were also one hell of a Rock band before he joined their ranks. With "Hustler's Row", it's rather fitting that the two made a marriage out of it.