The truth will knock you over. It hits with the force of absolute certainty. When it arrives, you might not be prepared for it — not entirely, anyway. Yet we crave it nonetheless. Deep down, everybody wants to dispel the illusions and misapprehensions, blow away the falsehoods, and get to the heart of the matter.
The members of Atlanta hard-rock band Pistols At Dawn know all about facing the truth. They’ve made a song that arrives like a revelation: like a ray of fiercely illuminating light breaking through clouds. Everything about “The Truth” is tight, tough, economical, and purposeful; there’s not an ounce of fluff on it. The guitars are muscular and lean, the rhythm section is driving, the solo stings like a memory uncovered, and the melody is straightforward, catchy, communicative, and searing. Pistols At Dawn present the song as a rude fact — it sounds like a hard rock classic, something that has always existed. And that’s the funny thing about the truth. It doesn’t care what you want it to be. It’s right there, firm as stone, indisputable and unyielding, ready for those with the courage to look at it.
The track is a centerpiece of Ascension, the upcoming Pistols At Dawn album. It’s something of a statement of purpose and intent, too. The album, which was recorded with Grammy-winning producer Sylvia Massy (Tool, System of a Down, Johnny Cash), introduces new vocalist Cris Hodges, who focuses and gives voice to the band’s sonic fury. Expect a set of no-nonsense, hard-hitting, irresistible rock delivered by four musicians who are completely committed to the style and their message. “The Truth” builds on the musical and lyrical ideas expressed in 2021 singles “Voices,” “All You Offer,” and “Gone Black” — recordings that firmly established Pistols At Dawn as one of the most uncompromising new bands on the scene.
Michael Mueller’s kinetic clip for “The Truth” underscores the song’s themes with the same forcefulness that radiates from the music. He’s situated the band in a desert and set them loose to rock with an intensity befitting their stage show. Yet behind them, the whole earth is unsettled. A sandstorm is brewing, coughing up great billowing clouds of dust and pulverized rock — with each line, it gets closer. It’s a striking visual metaphor for that which we all can’t escape: the coming of the truth, approaching at terrifying speed and poised to engulf us. Be ready.
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