www.firegoat.com » Reviews » Kingdom Come
  Guest: Login | Sign up Slovenska verzija - Slovene version
Kingdom Come - "Independent"
ulfTone Music 2002

No. This is not what would be expected from a creator of phenomenal hard rock classics as "Kingdom Come", "Hands of Time", "In Your Face", "Bad Image" or "Twilight Cruiser" are. This time Lenny Wolf did it on his own according to album's title, independent way. Lenny plays all instruments (of course all vocals), all computer tricks (drum samples also) and keyboards. Only Lenny's vocals remained as the only classic trademark of the band. This record will be truly a disappointment for all who are expecting another hard rock classic from Kingdom Come. Nothing is what it seems. A man searches for his freedom. Lenny is therefore offering modern sounds of modern mainly half tuned riffing. A symbolical artwork represents a dead puppet that lost his faith into heavy metal idea. With Lenny's expressive vocals, but leaded (once again) by computerized drum beat, Forever is the only song on this record that shows certain signs of life that were caught in studio.

Synthetic approach doesn't suit to Lenny's color of vocals and his melodic singing style at all. Riffing brings obscure, dark atmosphere inside songs. Lenny's vocals just can not step into light. I would dare to call this record as some kind of grunge. But miles away from let us say Alice In Chains or Pearl Jam's debut. Okay, Lenny still sings phenomenal. I like his performance especially in America. But as I mentioned, this don't fit together as it should. Melodic vocals caught into half tuned themes. Is this a place where hard rock is dying Lenny? The only song is Darling, which by its structure and Lenny's singing recalls old Kingdom Come. I'm talking about typical melancholic feel of melody that recovers band's old stuff. That you won't find interesting guitar work here is needless to say. No solos of course, no interesting drum bridges, nothing to be excited at all. Even when Lenny somehow explodes on vocals in choruses (for example Do You Dare), riffing that covers his singing lines radiates no energy at all (empty riffing). Sympathizers of old Kingdom Come stuff don't waste your time here. I'll end this private investigation. Lovers of computer games, judge this experiment further. Kingdom Come? Another newborn synonym for hard rock funeral.

Author:   Aleš



   
Content of this page is copyright of www.krokar.net and firegoat team.
All rights reserved. © 2000-2002