Kyng – Trampled Sun
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Highlights: Falling Down, Pushing Pulling, Trampled Sun, Takes Its Toll, Trail In Veins, Down On Me, Porcelain, Between The Blame, The Beauty of the End_Shoreline Pt. 1 & 2
The first time I ever set ears on the Los Angeles band KYNG I knew right away I was hearing everything I loved about heavy metal music. A singer (Eddie Veliz) who can sing his ass off and play the living hell out of a guitar, a bassist (Tony Castaneda) who plays with the finesse and soul of Geezer Butler and a drummer (Pepe Clarke) who can not only play with a fluid swing but can kick your face in with blast beats that would make any death metal band jealous. At this point you’re probably dying to hear this for yourself. Well, you should be and rightfully so.
KYNG’s debut album “Trampled Sun” is nearly an hour of face melting classic sounding metal that is intensely melodic, and beautifully aggressive. Lead singer/guitarist Eddie Veliz has been compared to Chris Cornell on more than one occasion and in all honesty this is a good thing but not something to limit them. KYNG has managed to take their influences which seem to range from Soundgarden to Pantera and like any great band, throw it in a blender and serve the listener up with a big ass cup of face melting goodness. To call KYNG stoner rock, metal or anything else would be way too limiting for a band that is this diverse and dynamic.
Songs like “Falling Down” “Down On Me” and “Pushing and Pulling” show KYNG’s ability to unleash their bombastic metal side. “Trampled Sun” shows the bands more classic Sabbath influence with drummer Pepe Clarke and bassist Tony Castaneda locking in with each other in the spirit of the great Black Sabbath rhythm section of Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. “Taking It’s Toll” and “Porcelain” showcase not only Veliz’s spot on and soul filled vocals but some impressive harmony vocals by bassist Tony Castenada. Castaneda’s harmony vocals are such a great addition and besides complimenting Veliz, they add a depth and presence to each song. What I love about “Trampled Sun” is that not one song sounds like the other. Each song has it’s own identity and personality which creates a fantastic listening experience. The album closes with “Beauty of the End Shoreline, Pts. 1 & 2” and in my opinion, this 9 minute epic sums KYNG up in a nutshell. Sometimes as a band you can have these magical moments on rare occasions it’s captured. This is one of those occasions. If someone asked me just what KYNG was all about, I would play them this song. It’s the perfect closer for an album that leaves you wanting more. It’s like reading a book that ends at the climax with no resolution. This is not a bad thing because a band that leaves you wanting more has done a great job.
KYNG is a band that will appeal to many music lovers. The songs on “Trampled Sun” are melodic and dynamic enough to appeal to a somewhat commercial audience without alienating the fans of unadulterated heavy metal music. Its not commercial cheesy alternative metal shit but its also not inaccessible in your face metal music. KYNG is a multifaceted, diverse band that has managed to put together a collection of beautifully aggressive yet melodic songs that will easily become ingrained in your head. After listening to this album, I found myself hearing the melody of their songs in my head throughout the day. Yet again proof of well written and well delivered songs that stick with you like a pleasant memory. Kyng has managed to deliver one of my favorite albums of 2011. This is without a doubt an album any lover of diverse heavy music should own and love.
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