I am a massive King’s X fan, as you can tell by the name of this blog. That name came from the lead off song to this album, as it was the signature song to my business at the time. This is the band’s 7th album, and the 3rd post-break up with Sam Taylor – who was a big influence of those first records. This album follows what a lot of people thought was a disappointing album in Ear Candy, where the main influences seemed to be from Ty and his love of all things Beatles. I actually loved that record as the melodies and the softer approach were just fantastic. I would say this album is a mix between the heaviness of Dogman, and the softer Ear Candy.
Groove Machine opens the album and this is just pure King’s X. It has that heavy groove tone with the guitar and bass in unison to create the heavy riff, along with Doug’s heavy soulful vocals – that’s as trademark as it gets. Next song, Fade, was a single and a video was made – I’m not sure how it did commercially, but I love the song. Over And Over is one of those X songs that has melancholy tone that digs deep into your soul. Such a beautiful piece with a great solo. Ono has that faraway vocal technique the band have used a few times, and mixed with Ty’s fat riff, is very reminiscent of the musical environment of the time. Cupid is one of those songs that I’m not sure they would have recorded in the Sam Taylor years, as the vibe and groove are very different. It has a very grunge feel to the music, but the vocal melody has a hint of Beatles – I love it. Ocean closes out Side 1 and has Ty singing lead, and with most of his songs, the Sgt Pepper vibe is strong.
A Little Bit Of Soul opens up Side 2 with a deep low bass rumble and Doug singing in a softer tone. Another killer tune. A very melodic, Hate You, is next and you would be expecting a more aggressive tone with the subject matter. Higher Than God follows with a slow chugga riff, but has a beautiful melodic hook and chorus. One of the forgotten tracks by the band is next in Happy, and I love the deep repeating groove. The riff is something Dug would use again in his Poundhound project. Mr. Evil is something that would not have been out of place on the first 4 albums. A very slow riff and great melody and harmonies. World is a super old song, as it’s been around since the Sneak Preview days. It has a slight punky vibe to it. A weird live jam closes out the record but it’s just nonsense.
A solid 9/10 from The Grooveman.
