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It’s been a busy couple of years for Cardiff’s KING KRAKEN. Following the release of debut album MCLXXX, the quintet spent their time on the road raising their profile considerably, supporting big names like GEOFF TATE and CROWBAR, pulling the largest ever headline crowd at Station 18 Festival in May of last year and topping it off by playing at the same time as CLUTCH at Bloodstock that summer and holding their own. Not wanting to lose any momentum, the band immediately went back to the studio for the latter half of 2024 and now their sophomore album is ready; out on Friday April 18th, March Of The Gods is released independently.
There’s only one thing you need to like to get on board with KING KRAKEN, and it’s riffs – lots and lot of riffs. They might originate from a country closely associated with rainclouds, windswept hills and cool temperatures, but March Of The Gods takes you a few thousands miles away from Wales to sunset-dripped deserts, barren plains dotted with rock formations and the open road; this is an album for driving trips and its forty minutes are drenched in character. Opening track Scream is a stomping, southern rocker, with elements of BLACK STONE CHERRY mixing with a hint of the New Orleans sludge scene in the guitar tones. Berzerker contains BLACK LABEL SOCIETY vibes along with some Great Southern Trendkill-era PANTERA seeping through for good measure; it builds extremely well, particularly in the chorus. The title track sees a touch of MASTODON creep into the riffs, while PREACHER brings the sound a bit closer to home, reminiscent of BLACK SPIDERS in their pomp.
However, by far the biggest influence on KING KRAKEN is the band they were up against at Bloodstock. From the guitar licks to the powerful drumming to the gravelly delivery of vocalist Mark Donaghue, there is no question that without CLUTCH, KING KRAKEN do not exist. Whether it’s the rich textures of El Giganto or the more deliberate, methodical pacing of closing duo Chainsaw Saviour and Under the Sun, the mind instantly connects to messrs Fallon, Sult, Maine and Gaster. Of course, that doesn’t always work in a band’s favour, and KING KRAKEN are guilty on this record of wearing their inspirations a little too much on their sleeves; as a result, they lost a bit of their own identity in the process.
There’s also an issue with Hero, although not the song itself – on the contrary, it’s in contention for being the best song on the record and Donaghue‘s best performance to date. Where it stumbles is its placement: after the first four songs, March Of The Gods has built up a nice head of steam which then evaporates due to Hero‘s more vulnerable, ballad-like feel. If the track had been at the very end, it could have been far more potent by bringing a reflective coda to the body of work; as it is, one cannot shake the notion that KING KRAKEN put the brakes on too soon.
There is a really bright future ahead of KING KRAKEN – they boast serious musical chops and March Of The Gods is a strong, well-layered album that is bursting with catchy riffs and excellent song writing. A touch more of themselves at the forefront and they could easily be world-beaters, because they’ve got everything else in their arsenal to be just that.
Rating: 7/10
March Of The Gods is out now via self-release.
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The post ALBUM REVIEW: March Of The Gods – King Kraken appeared first on Distorted Sound Magazine.
