Album Review: Dead Kings - 'Dead Kings'

23 September 2009 | 4:05 pm | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

Who says the Canberra scene isn’t alive and well?

One of the most interesting, if not ground breaking Australian metal releases you will hear this year, Dead Kings have solidified themselves as a band to watch undertaking multiple trips interstate as well has landing several high profile support slots including Parkway Drive and Terror.  

 

Combine the intricate riff work of Misery Signals with the brutal and unrelenting heaviness of Heaven Shall Burn should give a small inclination of the overall sound Dead Kings have achieved.  What separates this band from other metalcore groups is the more serene moments present in each song (see Ascendine), implemented almost as if to counteract the more brutal sections. This helps to give each song its own personality rather incorporating over used hardcore breakdowns or half time bree bullock moments. 

 

Final track Set Free the Wolf in Man shows how well all these factors can gel together, with guest vocals from Zaca Duncalfe (now defunct Queensland metal band Vices for Virtues) sitting suitably in the mix. The production and packaging is phenomenal for a debut album, rivaling that of any Australian heavy release of this year and because of this it seems only fitting that it should be released by recognized Australian hardcore label Trial And Error records (also home to Antagonist AD, Mary Jane Kelly and Dropsaw).   

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

 

While I can’t fault this record, it still seemed like there was something missing that couldn’t quite be captivated in the 8 songs present on this release. I look forward seeing what the future has in store for Dead Kings, how they will evolve musically and what the next release have in store for us.

This self-titled release clearly represents a group who puts a great deal of thought and effort into their music, and as a result will begin to reap the benefits of doing so in the forthcoming year.

  1. From Nothing
  2. Pariah
  3. Carthage
  4. The Storm
  5. The Road
  6. Ascendine
  7. Inmovable
  8. Architecture of Existence
  9. Set Free the Wolf in Man