Dartmoor’s best, a rare animal on British soil, in fact all around the world – a truly unique entity. Last album 2010’s The Shadow Over Atlantis is a doom masterpiece hands down, so can the follow-up truly keep up this level of brilliance? “Of course!” you say? But did you even know of the fundamental changes that have rocked the Wounded Kings camp in the past year?
Line-up changes are known to often cause havoc and rip apart previously perfect bodies. In this case is the vocalist that has changed with George Birch leaving the band and being replaced on vocals by Sharie Neyland (will it sound like Coven, you ask?). Have Wounded Kings (guess the names makes less sense now…) taken a step towards a more commercial approach by bringing in a female vocalist, you ask? Well, of course not, though things have definitely changed. In fact mastermind and founding member Steve Mills has replaced the entire band? Ex-Ishmael members Jim Willumsen (bass) and Alex Kearney (guitar) have joined along with drummer Mike Heath. An improved line-up? Mills seems to think so, as the formula tried-out on 2010s split with Cough has been transferred to full album recording: All members actually play on the record, not just Mills (or so the provided sleeve-notes let us believe!) Despite the transformation, however, fans can be assured that it definitely still sounds like The Wounded Kings rather than some stripped down version of themselves. However, it is undeniably true that this album is much catchier and includes more hooks than the previous works. It’s not the right word (but the first that comes to mind), but some vocal lines seem even a bit too catchy and some structures more predictable than before. This is not saying that I dislike this by any means! The opener The Cult of Souls is absolutely crushing. New singer Neyland opens the song confidently and with a very strong voice (only somewhat wanting in range). It’s an epic triumph! Too epic for some? Do not worry, half of the song is complete psychedelic doom (and bound to satisfy any handsome stalwarts taking hallucinatives at some bison-farm in Wiltshire): A notion that carries through the entire album. The Wounded Kings’ take on Black Sabbath follows on track two. Despite riffs reminiscent of the band that originally kickstarted Ozzy osbourne’s career before featuring the MTV smash-hit show The Osbournes, it doesn’t sound nicked on any stretch of the imagination. Steve Mills actually created a sound void of obvious influences – this sounds like Wounded Kings only. This theme carries through the whole album and a run-through of individual songs seems pointless. What can I say? (Should have thought of that before writing that really). Just listen to the damn thing!
Frankly any criticism above is mere hair-splitting and should be regarded as such. This is an immense album and whilst it doesn’t quite capture me (yet!) to the same level as the previous full-length, only time (and trips to the Wiltshire bison-resort) will tell if this is, in fact, the best The Wounded Kings release to date. The Great Leap Forward worked for China alright, did it work for TWK? I think yes.
http://www.myspace.com/thewoundedkings2
Miika Virtanen
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