OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET

Superb album. The sheer scale of the sounds from both bass and guitar is amazing. Ty Tabor nails a heavy grungy sound, there's a cleaner Van Halen sound, a beautiful clean acoustic & 12-string. Doug Pinnick's bass sound is to die for. Oh, and the harmony vocals, arrangement, melody, lyrics and structure are top class. what baffled me is how long it took this band to appear on the archives.

The opening is sci-fi ambience before what fans will recognise as the quintessential Kings X comes in: heavy, but never overpowering, rock with harmony vocals interweaving with Pinnick's cries: all tight as the proverbial gnat's ass. Just brilliant.

Goldilox, a classic, introduces the listener to another side of this talented band. Slow and controlled rock ballad, without dragging or venturing on to the wrong side of sentimentality (as Thin Lizzy were wont to do on occasions). Pinnick's style and presence is reminiscent of the great Phil Lynott (maybe not the deep casual power and humour) but similar in the overreaching influence of the band's sound.

My least favourite track is Power of Love, and maybe that's just because it shares a title with Frankie Goes to Hollywood track (my dislike of that band runs so deep: the therapy hasn't worked, but then again maybe Therapy? would work). I digress. Wonder opens with echoing 12-string. Little bit choppier in the changes from acoustic to heavy rock, Pinnick wails to harmonies. Good but a little disjointed and stuttering for me.

Sometimes has a Van Halen like sound a the start but breaks down: arpeggios, harmony vocals kick in and a tremendous rocking rhythm. This may remind some people of the sort of pulsating beat that Faith No More were masters of at about this time, but with Kings X there is a higher level. As if to emphasise this King interweaves harmony lines with a steady rock beat. Inspirational. Simple and effective. There is more forceful heavy rock feel to What is This? Still a hint of Faith No More. This is a different feel and vibe, a sinister backdrop with hopeful chorus lyrics.

It's Jerry Gaskill's drums that lead us into the most impressive vocal track of the album, Far, Far Away. One of my favourites. There's still a lot of Van Halen in here, (with maybe a lean towards Dave Lee Roth's Skyscraper). Shot of Love is upbeat, a little bit too pop rock for me. But each to their own.

Visions returns to the slower powerful heavier rock sound. It keeps rolling, the vocals of Pinnick & harmonies are by now distinctive: you have the Kings X sound (well at least as far as Dogbreath).

An excellent addition: not essential. Better is yet to come - Gretchen/Kings X and Faith Hope Love. Onwards and upwards but a great start.