Killing KingsThough these guys are from Denver, CO four of the five members were originally from Haverhill, MA and one being from CA, so this is truly a transplanted band. So if you're wondering why the vocalist (Steve) has a Boston accent that's why. Anyhow, these guys have been around since ‘04 (that botched election is probably what made these guys take the heavy political stance that they have) and I'm not certain but I'd assume they have released a demo or two before releasing this, their debut full length.
There are 14 tracks, 13 songs total (the 14th track is full of random oddities) with the songs varying in terms of the length (the song lengths are anywhere between 1:20 and 4:30). You can tell that these guys have spent a lot of time together in the past because they have plenty of chemistry together and it bleeds into the speakers; the song-writing is fluid and tight. These guys are definitely similar to a lot of the streetwise NYHC bands like SOIA and Biohazard. They definitely have a strong foothold in the roots but like the bands mentioned above they like to throw in some metal influences as well as some hip hop influenced vocal patterns.
As important as the music, recording, and packaging is, the bread and butter of this band is the lyrics. The bulk of the content is aimed at our failing system of government and the people that run it but there are also other ideals expressed. For instance the song "Failure Eclipse" is about the hardships of a working class citizen. The song "Music and The Message" is about the importance hardcore plays in the band members lives. "Behind The Front" is about tough guy posturing, a theme that has been done time and time again but these guys pull it off. Aside from those tracks the material is aimed at the shady dealings of the powers that be.
Considering this album was put together solely by the band itself it would then be no surprise that they also handled most of the recording duties by themselves. The album was recorded in the bands' practice space with the help of Dan of Valkyrie Studios and then had it mastered by Jeff Merkel of 8 Houses Down. All parties involved did a masterful job because there's nothing I would change about the tone or sound of any instrument. The guitar tone packs a punch, the bass tone is warm, the drums are tight and dense, the vocals have great placement, the samples used throughout the album were well placed.
Holy shit did these guys put a lot of effort into putting this album together. Shit there aren't many labels big or small that put so much into the design and layout of an album. A massive 10- page glossy booklet accompanies this already stellar album. The front cover is cool; the constitution serves as the background with the flag of the USA faded into the middle with Killing Kings illuminating over it in a white cursive font. The first page in the booklet serves as an introduction to what the band is about and what they convey in their music with a quote from Ernest Benn to close it off. From there on out each page is used for displaying the lyrics from each song with a nice corresponding image in the background. The fonts and colors change throughout each to keep it fresh. In the middle of the booklet is an awesome dual page collage of photos of the band with a really cool drawing of a hand gripping a bloody crown. The rest of the pages finish off with the same formula as the first half. At the end are the thank you's and credits with a quote from JFK. The back of the booklet has the band lineup, recording credits etc,. Another awesome thing about the layout is the photo used in the tray; it's the band standing next to a "Bush Cheated ‘04" sign.
Rating: 5/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: Music and The Message, Failure Eclipse and JabberJaws
Synopsis: I got turned onto these guys from the good guys over at the HC4EverDistro.com messageboard. The first track I heard ("Music and The Message") on their myspace page had me hooked instantly. Since I have received this CD a few weeks back I have been playing it nonstop. Everything about this band seems right, their attitudes seem sincere and passionate, the music is tight and well written, the vocals are insanely good and they did good by bringing in Joey from Fight Like Hell to do some hip-hop influenced lines, and the packaging as I mentioned is better than the shit big boy labels are putting out. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes real hardcore to add this album to their collection ASAP.