Kingdom Of Sorrow

by Simon T Diplock

Heavy music legends combine to create a new kingdom

"Ok so they may not have popped up on many top tips for 2008 lists but there’s a group of people who will be awaiting the arrival of Kingdom Of Sorrow with unreserved excitement. This lot see, are something of a metallic supergroup."

Formed back in 2005, Kingdom Of Sorrrow started as nothing more than an excuse for best friends to hang out while their other bands weren’t busy. Hell, for a few years this thing couldn’t even be called a side-project, it was just a way to waste time between tours. But when those best friends, just jamming on something new in their downtime, include Kirk Windstein of Crowbar and Down and Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed fame, even their smallest adventures are going to draw some big interest.

Windstein and Jasta, both already fans of each others work, cooked up the plan for the Kingdom while touring the UK and, despite two of the busiest schedules in rock, didn’t let the idea drop when they got home. When their calendars clashed- Windstein holed up in New Orleans writing new Down material while Jasta was on the other side of the world on tour- KoS lay dormant, but never forgotten. But when their agendas aligned, the pair wrote like demons, drafted in Unearth touring drummer Derek Kerswell and former Black Label Society member and son of a Bee Gee Steve Gibb, and eventually a full-length record was born.

The result is a self-titled monster of a debut. Released through Relapse Records this thing nods its head equally to Black Sabbath, Metallica, Deep Purple and Pantera but there are of course echoes of the line-up’s day jobs too. ‘Piece It All Back Together’ is a rolling riffstorm straight out of Crowbar’s catalogue, ‘Led Into Demise’, much more direct and deadly, is clearly Jasta’s baby, and opener ‘Hear This Prayer…’ has all the musical guts and greatness necessary to back up the players’ high standing. And of course it also helps that the band can easily convince folks like producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall) to get the whole thing on tape too. But it’s not all about downtuned sludge, hardcore barks and massive production.

‘Grieve…’ is more classic rock than any cooler-sounding genre, ‘With Unspoken Words’ is a sleazy centrepiece that, despite being pushed around by some of the best recording gadgets on the planet, sounds like it was dredged up from a Louisiana swamp and ‘Screaming Into The Sky’ could undo all of Jasta’s well-earned hardcore credentials in five slow-paced, smoothly-sung minutes. Forget scene cred and cool points though, it’s these changes from the sludgy template, the songs that most defy expectation here, that work best of all.

Time constraints, day jobs and other commitments might mean this band is never once going to be given the chance to change the world. And the best guess is that the band wouldn’t want it to anyway. But Kingdom Of Sorrow is a healthy addition to its members’ CVs and hell, if there’s anything like ‘Demon Eyes’ or ‘With Unspoken Words’ on the new Metallica album, then a lot of people will be very happy indeed.
casey said on May 3rd 2008 [report abuse]

you guys rock!!!!!

casey said on May 3rd 2008 [report abuse]

you guys rock!!!!!

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