ALBUM REVIEWS

PEEPSHOW

Welcoming the ‘Brand New Breed’…

As a new generation of fans discover a world of danger-flecked rock n’roll more compelling and exotic than the pop and pseudo-punk they’ve been spoon fed to date, Peepshow are perfectly positioned to take their message to the masses. Merely tipping the hat to monsters of rock past, Peepshow have twisted their sounds into something youthful, new and as yet unheard.

Their razor sharp look and street ready desire to entertain meet a precision and outrageous musicality that’s framed in modern metal. There’s the fervour of My Chemical Romance coupled with the slick presentation of Kill Hannah and Blessed By A Broken Heart, while their universal, rallying-the-clans commerciality echoes that of Black Veil Brides.

It all started as it should, not on Saturday night television screens or in the gleam of a marketing man’s eye, but at grass roots level, in the pubs and clubs of their native Scotland. Led by charismatic singer and songwriter Johnny Gunn, a man with a voice to melt icebergs and an image to stop traffic, Peepshow’s surging, futuristic anthems soon found favour. Their self-released debut album quickly shifted 2,000 copies, largely through word of mouth, and drew instant praise from national press. Consequently seized upon as a band on a rocket ride, Peepshow were unleashed to support the likes of Duff McKagan’s Loaded, Backyard Babies and CrashDiet. Indeed, so keen were the latter on the forward-leaning Scots that Johnny ended up co-writing three songs for their most recent album, Generation Wild.

As Johnny, guitarists Rusty Gill and Dagan, bassist Hex and drummer Hammy gear up for the release of aptly titled second album Brand New Breed, Peepshow are bigger, stronger and more focused than ever before. Their already muscular sounds have been toned further by playing to packed houses and working with the best in the business.

Pumped hard on sheer adrenalin and some timeless rock n’roll stardust, Brand New Breed is fused with blasts of synths, lightspeed dual guitars and textured, flexing rhythms. The hooks on first single Let Go and Live Free Or Die are tailor made for the bigger venues, while the intensity of Feed On Me and the sky high emotions and god-sized riffs of All Or Nothing will drive their way straight into the guts and heart respectively. Strong songs and melodies underpin everything – music for outsiders, the discontented and the artistic - songs that fans will come back to time and time again.

In the weeks before the release of Brand New Breed, their thrilling promotional video for Let Go attracted around 10,000 YouTube hits – but even that was nothing compared to the astonishing quarter million plays that greeted a selection of teaser tracks posted on the band’s official myspace.

The show is on. You’d be wise to get to the front of the queue…

'Steve Beebee, 'Kerrang!' 28th January 2012

Peepshow may not be band you've heard of but with 'Brand New Breed' that may certainly change.

Peepshow have a pedigree in the genre in the form of Johnny Gunn, lead vocalist and songwriter for the band. Johnny  co-wrote tunes with Martin Sweet, guitar player of Crashdiet, for their third release, 'Generation Wild'.

The Crashdiet connection carries on as Johnny would have made a real, credible replacement for the departed H Oliver Twisted when he returned to his own 'band' Reckless Love. In fact, I would go so far as to say Johnny would have slotted in nicely after Dave Lepard's untimely death as he sounds very similar in style and approach.

This gives away the flavour of the music and the genre we are listening to here, folks. Listening to the album as a whole I would venture Peepshow tilt a glass or two more in the direction of Crashdiet than Reckless Love, the tunes certainly have more balls than any Reckless Love offering, 'Waking The Dead' could be on the first (and best) Crashdiet album,  'Rest In Sleaze', and hold its own nicely, natch 'Brand New Breed'.
 
The album's introduction, a haunting keyboard part that leads us to an apocalyptic past with a disenchanted youth taking back control from the underground, is very much the flavour of the Crue with the "In the beginning..." intro to 'Shout At The Devil', setting the tone of the whole album. 'Let Go' and 'Live Free Or Die' come smashing into your face with much pent up aggression and energy; the album gives 'attitude' in spades. Peepshow's approach to the usual 'ballad' comes with a degree of maturity to song writing that belies Johnny's age: 'Only A Dream' is a nicely structured tune and the whispered vocals and haunting keyboards take me back to the 'Transmission' album released by the Canadian band Tea Party; truly excellent.

With great management, an official biog penned by the mighty Kerrang! scribe Steve Beebee, and a good wind, the future looks brighter than the dark alternative Peepshow woud have you believe! Close your eyes and get yourself lost in the world's first 'intelligent' glam rock band.

Written by Matt Blakout  

http://www.uberrock.co.uk/