It seems the UK is brimming with a lot of that washy, stoner, psych kind of rock right now, a genre that is primarily influenced by such British stalwarts like Black Sabbath and later, Orange Goblin. The latest band to come across our way is Stone Kings whose take on the genre is refreshing and groovy at the same time.
This second full length album is the follow up to their EP release “Reset”, a 6 track effort that gained some attention for the band. Their sound is slightly more alternative sounding in a lot of ways that takes influences from bands such as Soundgarden and Alice In Chains but there is definitely a strong stoner and somewhat doomy rock that harks back to Black Sabbath and the latter era of Corrosion Of Conformity. Vocals are fairly pushed back giving a more clean and mellower aspect which only seem to serve as a fill-in between guitar parts. The music gives off the impression that it could be instrumental based which maybe how they were written, the opening intro track “Creation” and the epic adventurous ending “Devastation” both instrumental and a good basis for how the band can be summed up. The vibe is really laid back and gives off a snakey mood which is one of the strongest points on this release.
Most of the tracks are groove based, mid-tempo songs. From the alt. rocker “far Out” to the slightly metal- ish “Outcast”, the music bounces along nicely and is very loose. The only complaint here would be it could be a bit tighter to give it that extra punch and I suspect that the band step it up live in that respect, it’s usually the case for these kinds of bands where their live sound is definitely where it’s at.
There is a lot of hooks and melodies on every song, jam pieces are also abundant like the mid-section in “Headshot” which kind of reminds me of “Planet Caravan” from Black Sabbath. “Captive Audience” is also a fun one to listen to with a little heaviness to pique your interest. Stone Kings definitely have a great sound and if you are looking for just new music to listen to in the vein of the above mentioned bands and musical styles, they are worth checking out.
TRACKLIST
Creation
Far Out
Headshot
Outcast
Krokodil
Time Out
Full Throttle
Enemies
Lovelace
Captive Audience
In My Place
Devastation
