Shockgun originally came out in 1988 on Flipside records with the bands current line-up of the time being Simon Mooney, Bob Gorlik, Steve Curran, Andy Turner, Sally Oakes. Self-Produced and mixed by Chris Ellis who also recorded the album. The recordings were restored by Andy Pearce.
The A-side of Shockgun opens with The furious drums fading in at the opening to Tricked & Abused they are joined by speedy riffs, with the questions coming as to why you'd be foolish enough to hear the call to war and battle, who would you be dying for, certainly not your own freedom, they feel pity for those who have been Tricked & Abused into serving others interests.
April Acid Rain Showers is every bit as doom laden dark and twisted as suggested, the worries about global pollution and the damage humans have done and are still doing to the environment in the name of profit and progress, will we ever change the minds of those that are high enough up to really change things for the better, stopping all the deadly pollution that causes Acid Rain.
Cry Freedom and one day it might finally come, delivering us from this living hell, they may have a bleak outlook, but it was totally in keeping with the times this album was written, sadly it also feels in keeping with our times, how little changes.
Suicide Investigation Team is dark and tortured look at how a friend's death is treated by the Suicide Investigation Team, do they come up with the right answers, to why a good friend might make that choice, was it drugs and alcohol or other darker matters, this makes me think of the friends who have chosen that path and what drove them to that terrible decision.
One Way Ticket is low fi guitars and the sadness at another friend believing they had a One Way Ticket to the edge of despair, is there a way back, they aren't certain.
Intolerater/Intolerhater is speedy thoughts on why you are so intolerant and hateful to everyone around you and why you wield your authority in such intolerant ways.
The B-side opens with Run Don't Walk a screed making clear that a little reflection is no bad thing, the guitars are less riff driven, but no less speedy, asking questions and never quite getting the answers.
Mass Insanity is a title and subject that seems to have become more in need of tackling than it was in the 80's, how do we conquer the forces of hatred and forced control, all the levers being applied you must learn to resist at all costs if you wish to have any kind of freedom and keep your sanity.
Situation Desperate the world is falling to pieces, if you can't see how desperate our situation is then you are not paying attention, make sure to join the fight and let those hardcore guitars blast away any lingering doubts of the severity of where we are at. Such a shame that so much progress has happened since and yet we are in an even more Situation Desperate in 2025 than Instigators were in 1988.
Central Nervous System slows things down with whispered vocals and a stripped back sound getting deep into your Central Nervous System slowly building from within your core, waiting for the coming explosion, taut and afraid of the damage done.
We, Your Murdered Sisters have had enough of all the abuse and hatred towards us, it's time for a revolution let the Sisters take over, surely a matrilineal society can't be worse than the patriarchy, if only the paradise they sing about had already come to fruition the world might be a saner place by now.
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