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By JEFF MAKI
When the new album from King's X, XV (their 15th album!) arrived in the mail, I thought to myself, “Wow, this band is still around?!” I, like many other music fans, probably best remember the band for their hit album Gretchen Goes To Nebraska (1989). That's when King's X started appearing all over MTV and rock radio. The band garnered critical acclaim for their unique blending of styles and started generating a decent fan base. After this, I'm not really sure what happened to them besides cranking out albums (and I'm too busy to look it all up). Now they're back in 2008 with XV.
After listening to XV, the first thing that I can tell you is that King's X has mellowed—actually, they have drastically mellowed. I remember them as having an infusion of funk and soul, but I always classified them as a heavy metal band. I'm not so sure you can do this with XV. The album has a laid-back, alternative rock vibe. It's full of acoustic guitars and soulful vocals from the instantly recognizable frontman Doug Pinnick. The style and feel has similarities to Alice In Chains classic EP, Jar of Flies. Songs like “Pray” “Rocket Ship” and “Blue” have potential to be hit singles; I just don't see rock radio, or any outlet for that matter, giving it the time of day. On the ballad “Julie,” drummer Jerry Gaskil performs the vocals and sounds like a young Tom Petty, the acoustic guitars following suit. “I Just Want to Live” is another alternative rock standout here. A song like this would have been a great success for the band if it was 1995. A couple of songs revisit the band's early days, such as the heavier “Move” and the funky swagger of “Go Tell Somebody.” Aiming to repeat past success, the band once again collaborated with producer Michael Wagener (Ozzy, Alice Cooper, Dokken). The album includes 14 songs, with bonus tracks “Love and Rockets (Hell's Screaming)" and “No Lie.”
I still think King's X is a great band that has left a lasting impression in the music scene during their long career. Unfortunately, in today's musical climate the material of XV plays entirely too safe. And that's not what fans would expect from this band. They made a name for themselves for their creativity, by pushing the envelope and doing things different. XV is a nice and mellow listen, but it does neither.
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