Great value for money, only just discovered this band....this is a must have if ur a fan. Great stuff!.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Having gained a strong, if cult, audience over the course of four highly melodic but hard rocking albums, this was the effort that saw King's X break away from many of the expectations of fans and critics alike. The guitars were heavier, the attitudes were harsher(and far less Christian than before) and they were no longer using the usual progressive rock stylings. If it wasn't a radical change, more a progression from their previous album, it was still a necessary and welcome one. Prompted by an embittered collision both with some formerly trusted friends and what they saw in the world at large, this dark album was then unfortunately lumped in with the tail end of Grunge, as if they were jumping on the bandwagon. How foolish. This is a mighty collection of grooving, growling, heavy metal monsters with a couple of haunted ballads and an electric Hendrix cover thrown in. The harmonies still chime with thrilling precision (check out "Shoes" and "Fool You") and Doug Pinnick's full-throated gospel-tinged vocals still send tingles down the spine. But... It's guitarist Ty Tabor who dominates the album. The punchy production forces him to the front of the mix and he does not flinch. His riffs are elephantine. They crunch and churn like badly behaved children through most tracks, whilst his solos sing with glee abandon. From the moment "Dogman" chugs into a stuttering life he sets the ground work for the whole second half of King's X career. "Don't Care", "Black the Sky" and the closing "Pillow" give stretch-marks to the speakers. When they go punk for the 51 seconds of "Go to Hell" you wish it was three times as long, and "Complain" mocks both their own and everyone elses tendency towards negativity with a searing blast of uptempo rock. An album of such bitter, sarcastic and angry songs might become sour or one-dimensional in lesser hands but this band know how to temper their compositions with real emotional depth. As such it's the sense of sadness the melodies bring that strike home in the maelstrom of pummelling rhythms. Frankly they seem incapable of writing bad tunes, "Flies..." and "Sunshine Rain" are gorgeous. But each track has a diamond-edged theme to hum. This takes skill, and it's no surprise to remember that this band have long had more respect from their peers than the public at large. If anything holds this album back it's that it's not as immediate as, say, "Gretchen Goes to Nebraska", and that it's strict sense of focus is a touch draining over 14 tracks. It doesn't have those variations or explorations that mark out their first four records. To have it all come together takes a few listens, but it's more than worth the effort. Considering the bands who have gone on to be massive sellers, it still seems criminal to me that a band like this, with all the talent and tunes you could wish for, toil somewhat in the shade. When you consider that this album is often talked of as being one of their weaker efforts that you realize the standards to which they aspire and frequently reach. It may be true that if you are just starting to collect King's X you're probably better off with an earlier record. But you'd be wise to pick this one up sooner rather than later.Read full review
This is arguably the best album by the legendary texas trio KING'S X, who have infulenced many of the bigger mainstream bands such as Alice in Chains, Maiden and Metallica. They have a sound all their own and this album saw them change things slightly. They kept their known Beatles style vocal harmonies and Sabbath heavy riffs, but took things much more streamliend and ninties. The overall sound and style comes across as much more grunge like, but it is still totally their sound with this. The whole album is just stunning, very heavy and funky tight rock and slower, gentler tunes between. A very stunning, impressive ninties rock classic. For fans of Pearl jam, Stone Temple Pilots, ninties Metallica, Soundgarden etc. Fine album indeed.
Just catching up on lost time ! What an Album ! Heavy, Harmonious & Soulful!!! I love `Pretend', wish it could go on forever ! Will look at Tape Head & XV soon
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