Army of Anyone

Influences

• Led Zeppelin — Dean DeLeo has cited Jimmy Page as his primary reason for picking up a guitar and uses the same 'Supro amp in the studio' trick Page used on the debut. You hear it in the layered, orchestrative guitar overdubs on 'Goodbye.' It’s the blueprint for their heavy-but-swinging rhythmic pocket.
• Nirvana — Richard Patrick took the job as Nine Inch Nails' touring guitarist after seeing Nirvana play a tiny club, realizing he wanted that raw, visceral energy. That DNA shows up in his vocal grit on 'Father Figure,' where he tries to bridge the gap between pop melody and a throat-tearing scream. It’s the grunge-era dynamic shift applied to a big-budget rock record.
• The Beatles — Robert DeLeo frequently references George Martin’s production and McCartney’s melodic bass playing as the core of the STP and Army of Anyone sound. The bridge of 'A Place to Hide' is a direct descendant of the 'Abbey Road' school of vocal harmonies and shifting chord voicings. They aren't just playing riffs; they're writing movements.
• Nine Inch Nails — Patrick was the first touring guitarist for Trent Reznor and was there for the 'Pretty Hate Machine' era sessions. Even in this organic rock setting, he keeps his phrasing tight and rhythmic, a habit formed from years of playing against a metronomic industrial sequence. It prevents the band from sounding like a standard jam-rock outfit.
• David Bowie — The DeLeo brothers have gone on record about Bowie being the ultimate North Star for their harmonic sensibilities and glam-rock aesthetics. You can hear the 'Spiders from Mars' influence in the way the guitars are voiced to sound slightly alien and larger than life. It gives the record a theatrical weight that standard post-grunge lacked.