King's X
Three Sides of One

As the saying goes, "long time, no see," and this phrase fits perfectly, with a touch of cynicism, in reference to the fourteenth studio album from this Houston, Texas trio, which comes a full fourteen years after their previous work in 2008. During that time, drummer Jerry Gaskill managed to survive two heart attacks! The band paused to wait for his recovery, while the guitarist and bassist focused on solo records and various side projects, but here they are again, picking up where they left off.

King's X is a unique group in its genre: an intriguing mix of heavy metal, soul, grunge, Beatles, mysticism, religiosity, psychedelia, furious drive, and satisfying melodic content. All three sing, they play like gods, cohesive and decisive, their sounds always rock... There's something for everyone: you can fall in love with Doug Pinnick's heavy soul singing as well as his bass with its many-stringed, earth-shattering tones; or Ty Tabor's Lennon-esque vocal style paired with his guitar that ranges from grunge/alternative riffs to celestial arpeggios or even excavating ones; or perhaps Gaskill's precise and intelligent drumming.

Not so much his voice, which is clear but rather ordinary. Yet, it is unusually often in the forefront in this work. The drummer sings solo on what seems to be four of the 12 tracks... This never happened before, and it should be considered a slight downside: his bandmates are on a whole different level... Pinnick is a renowned soul beast (both for industry insiders, who call on him to guest sing here and there in other productions, and for the loyal, albeit not vast, fan base the band has, myself included). Tabor offers a clearer and psychedelic vocal delivery that exquisitely contrasts with the long, left-handed, elder (73) and captivating bassist.

"Let It Rain" makes for a grand opening with guitar slashes tearing through an organ murmur, followed by Pinnick's magnificent voice, authoritative drumming full of crashes, a profoundly deep chorus, and a psychedelic solo that instantly captivated me. "Flood Part.1", which follows, starts heavy but it’s a real shock to hear exquisitely pop rock verses interspersed with the chaos of the riff: amazing, pure magic.

"Nothing But the Truth" benefits from yet another arpeggio lesson from Tabor's inspired guitar, chiming behind his bassist's warm and expressive voice; a well-established standard in King's X's repertoire, enriched here with another high-level episode. However, the reprise and the long instrumental coda feel a bit forced, with a lively but not very incisive guitar solo. In "Give It Up", Tabor's perfectly tight rhythm stands out: the result is brutal and might be defined as funky/hip hop/punk, with a wisely controlled racket.

In "All God's Children", the drummer's voice takes the spotlight (up until now, Pinnick sang all the leads): it's a slow track, alternately pounding and sparse, repeatedly. The short "Take the Time" is positive, clear, almost celestial, and sung again by Gaskill... strange choice, perhaps because he composed it himself. It reminds me of Californian country rock, for the robust harmonies and the slightly psychedelic resonance of the guitars.

Ty Tabor's lead vocals appear only on the seventh track "Festival", an enveloping rock in offbeat timing, good but not very memorable; however, the solo guitar parts are excellent, with a massive sound (Tabor recently switched to Les Paul...). It's followed by the boisterous, choral "Swipe Up", quite skippable.

Gaskill is back at the microphone for "Holidays", again in the vein of a vintage Roger McGuinn, frankly not the side of King's X that blows me away. Better is the subsequent "Watcher", sung by Tabor and sprinkled here and there with his usual enchanting arpeggios. Gaskill also takes over in "She Called Me Home", this time just filler and nothing more. Perhaps the final track "Every Everywhere" is too, floating mostly on the sublime, changing three-part harmonies of vague Beatles inspiration, which the group skillfully administers without obvious effort.

A broadly positive judgment for the return of these pure heroes of American rock. The album starts with a bang with the first three fantastic tracks, then scales down a bit. Had it maintained its initial levels, it could have been their best work... but no, yet "Three Sides of One" still fits worthily within their discography.

Rock has been in a coma for quite some time, perhaps decades, yet occasionally new work comes from some of the so-called "dinosaurs" (King's X's debut album: 1988) to jolt its glorious, exhausted, and frayed body. These are survival times, and such works are welcome to brighten its endurance.