REVIEW: Brant Bjork and the Low Desert Punk Band – Black Flower Power (2014)

Bought at Sonic Boom during Mike and Aaron Go to Toronto Again…Again! for $14.99 brand new.

BRANT BJORK and the LOW DESERT PUNK BAND – Black Flower Power (2014 Napalm)

I’m a little pissed off that I didn’t get this album last year. If I had, it might have dramatically changed my Top 5 of 2014 list. Ever since I first grew to love Black Sabbath, I mourned that nobody (including Sabbath) were able to really capture the ingredients that made the early band special. Brant Bjork and the Low Desert Punk Band have grabbed onto some of that magic. Their bassist, Dave Dinsmore, is the most Geezer-ish bassist I have heard outside out Geezer Butler himself. The songwriting gravitates to those chunky kinds of riffs that Black Sabbath made their home. That’s not to say that Black Flower Power is a Sabbath clone — not at all — but it does have those elements, among many. You’ll hear me reference the Sabs more than once in this review.

‘Twas the good sir knight More Wood that introduced me to Brant Bjork, via Fu Manchu and Kyuss. Yet his solo work has reached and sometimes surpassed the heights of his former bands. I’ve never been disappointed with any of his projects, although Jalamanta was and remains a favourite. Black Flower Power has the potential to be that, too.

Over the course of eight tracks plus two bonus, the Low Desert Punk Band law down a variety of grooving rock. Bjork brings his diverse influences to the table, so you’ll hear latin influences sitting comfortably next to punk rock. Mostly, you will hear pure 1970’s rockin’ groovalicious smoke, and judging by the artwork, it’s the funky green smoke. “Feelin’ so high, so alive” sings Brant on “Boogie Woogie on Your Brain”, so we know where his head is at.

Bonus tracks are always interesting, because I say, hey! Why not just put more songs on the album if they’re good? “Hustler’s Blues” makes sense as a bonus track because it’s kind of outside the general direction of the album. It has laid-back aspects that are more Black Flower Power meets Jalamanta. Brilliant jam, though, especially as it accelerates towards the end. The second bonus track is “Where You From, Man?”, a title taken from the lyrics to “We Don’t Serve Their Kind”. The songs are unrelated, though. “We Don’t Serve Their Kind” is a driving metallic sludge with a chorus that will assassinate your brain; “Where You From, Man?” is a jammy instrumental that meanders around with, what sounds like, samples quotes from James T. Kirk?! (Wonder where he got that idea?) It’s also one of the most Sabbathy, in terms of the early jazzy jamming Sabbath.

No matter your musical persuasion, it’s hard to deny the genius contained herein. If you’re attracted to playing, there’s that. Experimentation, yup, just listen to the guitar noise manipulation that passes for a solo in “Where You From, Man?” Melody is here, in aggressive rock form. Folks, this is quality shit.

Highly recommended, especially to fans of Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Fu Manchu, and the mighty Sabbath.

5/5 stars

REVIEW: Styx – Equinox (1975)

STYX – Equinox (1975 A&M)

My first purchase from Mike and Aaron Go to Toronto Again…Again to be reviewed. Bought at BMV on Bloor for $5.99 in excellent shape.

A few years ago I picked up the pretty damn fine Styx 2 CD compilation Come Sail Away. Since that time I pledged to pick up old Styx studio albums on CD, if found used or cheap. Equinox is now the oldest found I’ve acquired. After recording four albums for Wooden Nickel records, Styx finally signed with a major label. A&M released their fifth: Equinox. It was however also their last album with original guitarist John Curulewski, a major songwriting contributor to the early albums. The Styx story continued with them moving from strength to strength and discovering a kid named Tommy Shaw out of Alabama. Shaw picked up the ball and helped Styx finish their touring commitments for Equinox.

When I was younger and not really paying attention to the lyrics, I assumed “Light Up” meant something about stage lights, perhaps lighting up the stage for a show. As an adult, I am convinced that Styx were actually corrupting the youth! Opening the album with a progressive salvo of heavy guitars and spacey keys, it quickly transitions into a celebration. “Light up and be happy, sweet sweet sounds will fill the air,” sings Dennis De Young innocently enough. Dennis seems to imply he’s singing about a sipping a glass of wine, but then: “All I need is just one hit to get me by, ‘Cause baby when you’re near I’m halfway high.” I see what you’re saying, Dennis, you rascal. A great happy-go-lucky tune, “Light Up” is just fun. But then “Lorelei” turns up the rock. This time Dennis is corrupting America by inviting a woman to live with him, pre-marriage I assume! “Lorelei let’s live together!” John Curulewski and James Young bring with them a hint of a southern rock twang in the leads (think the Eagles). Dense, immaculately arranged and lush, “Lorelei” is pure classic rock fun. On the progressive side, Dennis’ synth and organs take center stage on “Mother Dear”, a co-write with Curulewski who punctuates it with heavy chords. Fans of space rock will love this trippy journey into the sonic spectrum. “Lonely Child” starts as an acoustic number, heavying-up as it goes. Twangy space guitars are the highlight. These four songs together are a great side, a good balance between the cerebral and the hard.

I still like to think of classic albums in terms of sides, so this is where I got up to make some fresh coffee. Good thing too, because “Midnight Ride” could not be more different. It’s clearly a James Young song, a pure rock blaze through the night going over the speed limit. Put the caffeine right into my veins, man, this is groovy shit and Styx can rock you harder than you expect. Dennis’ role is limited to backing vocals, albeit stunning ones!

“Born For Adventure” combines the different sides of Styx. You get the rocking guitars and the progressive bent, with the pompous arrangement and smoking musicianship. Then, Curulewski is solely responsible for “Prelude 12”, the acoustic part that introduces the album closing epic, “Suite Madame Blue”. Six and a half minutes of bombastic Styx will drive almost every punk rocker out of the room. In many regards, this is a high water mark. It’s their “Stairway”. Their “Hotel California”. It lacks nothing and continues to impress, 40 years later!

John Curulewski died in 1988, of a brain aneurysm. After Equinox, he decided to step out of the spotlight and ran a recording studio while playing with several local Chicago bands. Shaw took his place and the band has never looked back, but we’ll dedicate this review to John Curulewski who was a crucial part the Styx story.

4.5/5 stars

#454.5: Tune in tonight for some Star Wars radio!

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Tonight at midnight, you can catch me LIVE on Robert Daniels’ radio program VISIONS IN SOUND. Tune in locally on your FM dial to CKWR 98.5, or even easier, just click “listen live” via their website! The show runs from midnight to 2 am (ET). Needless to say I’ll be fueling myself up on coffee.

The subject: STAR WARS! The soundtracks specifically. Last week, Rob covered the music from the prequel trilogy composed by John Williams. Tonight is the original classic trilogy, also composed by Williams, so you don’t want to miss this. And if you do, it should be available online for streaming later on. Rob and I have been excitedly discussing the upcoming film The Force Awakens (only a week away!) and I can’t think of a better way to get ready.

I hope you’re able to tune in and catch some incredible music. I’ve reviewed all the classic trilogy soundtracks already, and you know you’ll be in for a treat.

Check in tonight!

#454: VIDEO – Mike and Aaron Go to Toronto Again…Again!

“Are you filming right now?”

GETTING MORE TALE #454: Mike and Aaron Go to Toronto Again…Again! The Video!

Thanks to Aaron for the musical soundtrack, and thanks to the stores for the many music discs!

Full detailed purchases can be found here, and here.

WTF Search Terms: Joey Tempest’s Real Hair edition plus bonus WTF Comments!

WTF Search Terms XXIX: Joey Tempest’s Real Hair edition

Good day, eh? Welcome to the latest edition of WTF Search Terms: those whacky things people type into a search engine that somehow lead them here! I find that certain topics go in waves. For example, a popular question often searched for is “Can Marilyn Manson suck his own dick?” (Answer: No.) These things come and go like trends. Nobody will search for Manson’s dick for months, and then suddenly in one week, I’m getting multiple hits for Manson’s wang using different phrasing. Of course, that could still just be one person, trying and clicking in vain that it will be a different site this time….

Lately, Joakim Larsson, better known as Joey Tempest, the lead singer (or not?) of Europe, has popped up in search terms, and in the comments! Remember a few months back, when we were visited by Joey’s supposed spouse, Miranda Larsson? This time, in fact, Joakim himself stopped by to say hello:

Woah!

Before you start kneeling and cawing “We’re not worthy, we’re not worthy!”, let’s have a closer look. Joey apparently uses a Yahoo email address, and according to the IP address, lives in Virginia. His IP address is also an exact match with a previous comment left by “Miranda Larsson”, also living in Virginia. But wait…according to Wikipedia and its source material, “Joey Tempest currently lives in London with his wife Lisa Worthington and sons James Joakim and Jack Johnston Larsson. He does not have any social media pages apart from the official ones for Europe listed on their website.”

Conclusion: Sadly, I do not think the real Joey Tempest has ever had the fortune to stop by here at mikeladano.com. I guess I’ll have to remain content with a bitchy Kenny Hotz comment from a couple years ago.

These recent comments came with a spate of WTF search terms! Seems I’m not the only one wondering about Miranda and Joey and…well…and just see for yourself. Enjoy these Joey (and one for bandmate John Norum) WTFs!

1. joey tempest miranda

2. miranda larsson tempest

3. is joey tempest married with miranda

4. joey tempest and wife

5. joey tempest satanist

6. joey tempest real hair color

7. john norum hair piece

And, the winner this time:

8. joey tempest a woman

Come back regularly for more WTFs!

#453: What is Your Front-Person Style?

GETTING MORE TALE #453: What is Your Front-Person Style?

There are two types of people in this world: those that can make music, and those that cannot.

After many years of trying, I have to admit it, that I fall into the latter category. I can’t make music. I tried. I can make some noise and scream, but you wouldn’t pay money to see me in concert. Instead I’ve focused my energy on two things: writing about music, and playing air-music.

Air guitar (and to a lesser degree, air bass) is timeless, and I’ll wager that anyone with arms has done it.

Harder to fake, but much more rewarding due to the physical exertion, is a good air drum session. It’s easy to fake an air guitar mistake, but it’s harder to cover up when you’re on air drums.

It’s arguable that even more popular than these activities is lip-syncing to your tunes. But why stop there? After all, singing the song is only part of a vocalist’s job. The other part is entertaining the crowd, otherwise known as fronting the band. Think about it: Is Ozzy Osbourne successful because of his singing, or is it the fact that he is generally listed as one of the top most entertaining frontmen in rock? Same with W. Axl Rose. Part of the allure of Guns N’ Roses is seeing what kind of mood Axl will be in that night. What will he say? What will he do?

I’ll admit that when I’m alone in the house, blasting the tunes, it’s fun to play frontman and pretend I’m in charge of the best air band of all time. It’s even more fun to do this in the back yard; that’s just an “FYI” for those brave enough. While I’ve never consciously set out to copy a singer, I’ve noticed that my personal style as “air frontman” has been influenced by many of the greats, Mr. Rose included.

Once Guns N’ Roses hit the big time for real, they were touring massive stadiums, indoor and out. Their stage was phenomenally huge, and Axl would run from one side all the way to the other, usually while trying to sing! Duff, he’d just walk it. Not Axl. Many of these stage runs would end with him jumping off a riser. Not to be outdone in this regard is Brian Vollmer from Helix. Starting from their club daze, he used to somersault from the stage onto tables. When I saw him in Kitchener in ’87, during one song he climbed up onto the mezzanines, ran across the entire balcony, and then climbed back down the other side of the stage. I’ve seen Helix a hella-lot, and Vollmer still has no problem jumping on tables. He’s an awesome machine of a frontman, and he taught me that there are no boundaries between audience and band. Looking up to guys like these, when I have the space, as air frontman I like to run and jump too! I can’t do it like I used to in my teens, but I still do it.

Another frontman that heavily influenced my personal style was Paul Stanley of Kiss. Sometimes, depending on the song, it just feels right to play air rhythm guitar too. When performing to a song that felt this way, Paul Stanley became my model. Nobody can dance with a guitar like Paul. Much like Axl, Paul (especially in the 80’s when he wasn’t wearing platforms) was known to run and jump all over the stage. I will sometimes catch myself doing a specific spin that I saw Paul do in the “Thrills in the Night” video.

When not wielding my air-axe, I tend to need something to do with my hands! Who was the master of fronting a band with his hands and voice alone? Why, that would have to be Ronnie James Dio himself. I don’t tend to go for clichés like the devil horns; I make up my own gestures. However there is no denying that Ronnie James Dio is my number one air frontman inspiration when it comes to my hands. There are none better than Dio. There never will be.

These four guys undoubtedly had the most impact on me as an air frontman, but there is one more who cannot be ignored, and that is Mike Patton. My buddy Peter recorded a Faith No More performance from Saturday Night Live, and Patton was climbing up the scaffolding. I’d never seen a weirder performer in a rock band. What a bizarre, yet cool, image. So, if the song called for it, I’d throw in some Patton weirdness. Lurching across the stage, or flailing wildly, or even just standing stock-still, Mike Patton taught me a few extra bonus moves for my bag of tricks.

I don’t know how to dance. I have no dance moves whatsoever. I’m the Seth Rogen of dancing. All I have is the “dice thing”; that’s all I got. But when it comes to rocking the house as the best damn air singer around, I’ll take on all comers!

REVIEW: King’s X – XV (2008)

Complete studio albums (and more!), part 17 – the Final Chapter!

KING’X – XV (2008 InsideOut)

King’s X faced many setbacks over their long 30+ year career. Their last obstacle has been the hardest and most serious of all, and because of that, 2008’s XV album remains their most recent. That’s a tough pill to swallow, because for many fans XV was largely considered a return to form.

“Pray” immediately starts things right: face-crushing bass, a groove you can’t get out of, and a funky melody. You are transported back in time to the late 80’s and early 90’s, but with modern slants and production…and funk! The song boasts a soulful, powerful chorus just like the classics King’s X built their foundation on. What a satisfying opener. Peel yourself off the floor though, because it’s over before you know it and the next song “Blue” has launched. King’s X have always been successful at balancing their sound with soft songs, while maintaining their integrity. It’s a great track sonically, though missing a killer chorus. XV strikes me as the best produced King’s X album since the mighty Dogman.

Better than “Blue” is the gentle “Repeating Myself”, Ty Tabor’s first vocal outing on XV. Everything is in its right place: Ty’s delicate picking, the patented King’s X harmonies, and just a touch of Beatles-y psychedelia. “Repeating Myself” is possibly the most perfect song King’s X had done in many years. It melds perfectly right into “Rocket Ship”, a mid-tempo heavy rocker with “single” written all over it. The 60’s psychedelia remains, but wrapped up in a heavy stomping riff. “Society-sanctioned brain-washing tries to wrap its arms around me,” sings Dug Pinnick, still unafraid to tackle issues in his words. Jerry Gaskill takes his first XV lead vocal on the lovely “Julia”. Another perfect song. It’s a ballad that reminds me of everybody from the Beatles to Shaw-Blades and Motley Crue, of all people. Then it’s foot to the gas on the irresistible “Alright”. This is a classic King’s X rocker, but this time with gang vocals on the chorus. It’s gangbusters. One of the catchiest King’s X songs yet.

Greasy blues rock guitar kicks off “Free” with an unusually simple Gaskill beat behind it. This transforms into possibly the most soul-infused King’s X song ever, with it’s inescapable “Na na na na, yeah!” backing vocals. For the first time since Ear Candy in ’96, it seems King’s X just wanted to write and record some catchy songs. Of course this is done with all of their diverse influences and talents, but it does not mean the band stopped progressing in order to write some pop rock. “Free” is catchy indeed, and easily could have been on the radio, but it also has lyrical integrity. “The debt is rising, and you overload, because you’re broke, is this a joke? So go buy something, that you can’t afford, because you’re broke, is this a joke?” Musically, by turning the soul knob right up to 11, King’s X have progressed again.

Ty Tabor takes his turn on a mournful ballad called “I Just Want to Live”. A fine song, “I Just Want to Live” won’t be remembered as well as the previous tracks. Then the aptly titled “Move” has a pulse that you won’t believe. It’s Dug Pinnick’s bass that drives this thing, in a very 80’s kind of sparse arrangement. The awesome chorus seals the deal: it’s killer. Ty once again provides the soft side on “I Don’t Know”, another simply beautiful King’s X ballad, much like his Ear Candy material. His guitar solo here is a work of pure magic, and I swear to you that I did actually feel a chill go up my spine. Honest truth.

Winding it down, Dug makes “Stuck” stick to your brain with some unusual melodies. It’s an unorthodox song and in that way it reminds us of early King’s X, though it sounds little like it. The return of the massive grooves on “Go Tell Somebody” turns this church singalong into a groove metal classic. “If you like what you hear, go tell somebody!” Yeah Dug, you said it! Word of mouth, baby. That’s kept King’s X alive through some difficult decades. They must have known, recording this song, that it was going to be awesome.

I’ve never seen a version of XV without bonus tracks, but my import digipack has ’em too. “Love and Rockets (Hell’s Screaming)” is an interesting song with a good riff. Dug sings the vocal with a calmness, as opposed to the wailing of “Go Tell Somebody”. Then “No Lie” is a jokey blues. “I’ve never sung this song before,” says Dug at the start. This one truly is a bonus track; although it has instrumental integrity, it doesn’t feel like a sincere part of the album. Another version of the album (probably Japanese) has a demo version of “Rocket Ship” as a bonus track. (Add to “Holy Grail” list)

XV is a solidly entertaining album with only a few moments that drag. For all the complaints about albums like Manic Moonlight or Black Like Sunday, XV sounds like redemption.

4.5/5 stars

Jerry Gaskill suffered his first heart attack on February 25 2012. He required surgery but was feeling strong. King’s X had a tour booked to start only one month later, which had to be cancelled. Then in October of that year, his home was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Fans rallied and donated money to help the Gaskill family rebuild. As if all of this was not enough to deal with, Gaskill had a second heart attack two years later. This required a double bypass. Once again, King’s X cancelled all gigs. They released special live albums to benefit the drummer, and only now in 2015 have they managed to get back on the road and start work on a new album.

We have waited a long time, but we will continue to wait as long as we need. King’s X will return!

This series is dedicated to Dug, Jerry and Ty. Long may they reign.

Part 1 – Out of the Silent Planet (1988)
Part 2 – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (1989)
Part 3 – Kings of the Absurd (split bootleg with Faith No More)
Part 4 – Faith Hope Love by King’s X (1990)
Part 5 – “Junior’s Gone Wild” (from 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey soundtrack)
Part 6 – King’s X (1992)
Part 7 – Dogman (1994) + bonus “Pillow” promo single review
Part 8 – Ear Candy (1996)
Part 9 – Best of King’s X (1997)
Part 10 – Tape Head (1998)
Part 11 – POUNDHOUND – Massive Grooves from the Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music (1998 Doug Pinnick/Jerry Gaskill)
Part 12 – Please Come Home…Mr. Bulbous (2000)
Part 13 – PLATYPUS – Ice Cycles (2000 Ty Tabor)
Part 14 – Manic Moonlight (2001)
Part 15 – Black Like Sunday (2003)
Part 16 – Ogre Tones (2005)
Part 17 – XV (2008)

REVIEW: King’s X – Ogre Tones (2005)

Complete studio albums (and more!), part 16

KING’S X – Ogre Tones (2005 Inside Out)

The previous few albums split fandom. Many found it hard to grab onto the loose structures of Mr. Bulbous, and the drum loops of Manic Moonlight. For this review, we are trying an experiment. I have never heard Ogre Tones before (in fact I’ve never heard any of these 14 tracks), so this will be a first-listen review. Does King’s X have the same impact on first listen as they do on 21st? Probably not, but let’s find out. In a sense this is a “live” review, so please join me as I listen!

“Alone” could have alienated fans again, starting as it does with distorted alt-rock screaming. This introduces a short pop-rock duet with Doug Pinnick and Ty Tabor, not a bad little song. Even though it’s only three minutes, it still boasts multiple sections and lush harmonies, as well as the trademark King’s X groove that only they can play. Ty dumbs-down the guitar solo for the 2000’s, as it mostly consists of one note. It’s over quick and then it’s into the even shorter “Stay”, a Doug pop ballad with balls. Some of those balls come from the heavy detuned guitar, some of it is purely in the ragged soul of Doug’s voice.

Pleasant sailing is “Hurricane”, not too challenging. The trademark Beatles-meet-King’s X backing vocals lend it a psychedelic feel. Thankfully, the kind of massive grooves you crave return on “Fly”, the first King’s X Klassic on Ogre Tones. Biting bass licks nicely accent a catchy rock tune, old-school style meets new-school production. “If” is another good song, kind of similar to the pop rock delicacy Ear Candy. Onto the jazz-metal of “Bebop”, Doug throws a very different song into the mix but the album is the better for it. Just before the halfway point of the album, “Bebop” becomes a highlight.

I like Ty’s acoustic numbers, and “Honesty” is a bare, emotion-filled Tabor classic. Sounding a lot like Faith Hope Love-era King’s X, “Honesty” is hit-worthy. You need some heavy riffing after that, and “Open My Eyes” has a big, phat Sabbathy riff behind it. The song is a bit disjointed though, at least on first listen. Just a riff without a song. “Freedom” goes in one ear and out the other (albeit with a great guitar outro). Unfortunately like many albums with so many tracks on them, Ogre Tones starts to sag in the middle. “Get Away” is another one. The lyrics don’t hit the spot anymore: “Hey God, I watched the news tonight, why are your people so fuckin’ mean?”

The only long song on Ogre Tones is “Sooner or Later”, at 7:00. It’s a decent slow dirge that I suspect will require a few more listens to appreciate, and even if it doesn’t, there’s plenty of Ty Tabor noodling to go around. Then there is another decent ballad in the oddly-titled “Mudd”. I was hoping this was a song about the classic Star Trek character, Harcourt Fenton Mudd. Sadly, it is not. The strangest song of all might be a remake of “Goldilox” (from Gretchen Goes to Nebraska). True to the original, but of course not as timeless and perfect, it is nonetheless a welcome inclusion. After all, can you really fault King’s X for putting one of their best songs out for a second time? Considering they tried, and tried, and tried to catch a break, why give up? Of course I don’t need to tell you that “Goldilox (Reprise)” was not a hit in 2005, but maybe they should try again in 2020! The album then closes with “Bam” which is exactly what it sounds like. Bam! A crash of instruments…followed by almost three minutes of feedback, noise, and the bizarre.

There is a video included on the first run of the CD, which you can still buy. “Alone” has girls shaking their hair for no reason. This video is now on Youtube, of course.

Ogre Tones strikes me as a good album, one that should deliver more on further listens. However I wonder if the sluggish middle section will be a difficult obstacle.

3.25/5 stars

RIP Scott Weiland – Thank You

I’m not the right guy to do a Scott Weiland tribute. My first CD was Thank You, the “best of” album from 2003. Since I didn’t spend my young adulthood rocking to Stone Temple Pilots, letting them melt away my anxiety and youthful tension, I can’t tell you that Scott had that impact on my life. However, I can provide links to people who did experience his positive impact. These writers had some touching words about Scott and his music today. Please share and enjoy these links. Rest in Peace Scott, where your demons can never haunt you again.

Boppin’s Bop (Brian) – Scott Weiland & the Roundabouts – Blaster review and tribute

KeepsMeAlive (James) – RIP Scott Weiland

MixolydianBlog (Derek) – Scott Weiland

Resurrection Songs (J) – “I’ve been walking a lonesome highway, I felt as though I had no home”

My favourite STP song

REVIEW: King’s X – Black Like Sunday (2003)

Complete studio albums (and more!), part 15

KING’S X – Black Like Sunday (2003 Metal Blade)

After a couple albums that were…well, they were pretty far out, man…King’s X may have needed to get back to basics a little bit. Mr. Bulbous was undoubtedly a very experimental beast, and then Manic Moonlight introduced the drum loops. A number of fans had dropped off the train, this one included. It is only now that I have purchased 2003’s Black Like Sunday.

The concept of the album was pretty simple. Fans had been begging for Jerry Gaskill, Doug Pinnick, and Ty Tabor to re-release their very first indi album when they were still known as Sneak Preview. It is estimated that fewer than 500 copies of this album exist, but the band have never been eager to release it again. Indeed, rumour has it that the band destroyed over half of the original 1000 themselves. What they chose to do instead was re-write and re-record some of the old Sneak Preview songs, and release them as King’s X. There is no explanation of this inside the CD, so unless you were paying attention to the press, you might just think this was an ordinary everyday King’s X album.* Armed with 14 mostly shorter songs, they once again switched gears.

Laying it down right from the start, “Black Like Sunday” kicks rumps and gets ’em shakin’. Without having a clue what these songs might have originally sounded like, “Black Like Sunday” is admirable for its stock solid rock groove. Nobody in rock can groove like King’s X, but this is more straight than they normally play it. Jerry Gaskill is uncharacteristically laying down simple 4/4 drums and Ty has a nice rockin’ riff to hammer out.

“Rock Pile” is…different…takes some getting used to…but once you do? It’s in your head. It’s like two songs jammed together. A weird Van-Halen-esque unmelodic spoken word chunk, welded to a chorus from a corny Beatles song. On first impression, I thought “This is awful”. On third listen, it was, “Oh yes, this song! The heavy one with the catchy chorus…” and I was hooked. “Danger Zone” is also on the weird side, melding an oddly melodic vocal with a hair metal ballady electric chug. Much like “Rock Pile”, initial impressions are not good. Further listenings reveal that these songs stick in the memory, and that Ty’s rich guitar sounds are an absolutely highlight. His solo on “Danger Zone” is right out of the Neil Young book of awesome.

It has nothing to do with Rush, but “Working Man” rocks at mid-pace with many shades of the 80’s. “Dreams” has an odd reggae vibe, but grafted onto a heavy detuned King’s X riff. It’s not the greatest tune and probably the first that really fails to make an impact. Up next is “Finished” which is a pleasant pop rock tune. Nothing special once again, but instrumentally King’s X always have something to offer, and this time it’s Doug’s busy bass runs. Then things do get black like Sunday, on “Screamer”, an exotic vintage-Sabbathy stormer. Deep Iommi string bends meet tribal drumming meets Doug Pinnick. It’s a challenging listen but it has plenty to offer. “Bad Luck” is more down the alley of traditional King’s X, and it kills with its heavy groove.

King’s X have always been capable of tender ballads, so though unremarkable, “Down” will appeal to fans of that side. In contrast, “Won’t Turn Back” is stuttery chunky heavy metal. All of these songs have some strangely melodic vocal parts, and “Won’t Turn Back” is like that. It often feels like a chorus from a pop song has been transplanted onto a heavy metal song on this album. It’s one of the factors that makes Black Like Sunday hard to digest on first listen. At times it’s hard not to ask, “What the hell were they thinking?”

Steering the ship back on course once again, the song “Two” could have been on Tape Head since it has that bass-heavy stripped back kind of sound. “You’re the Only One” does not sound much like King’s X, but it does sound like quality hard rock. Maybe even pop punk. The Beatles harmonies work well here overtop a song that could have been written by Weezer. I wouldn’t doubt that Rivers wishes he wrote this song!

The only long song on the album is the incendiary, 11-minute-plus “Johnny”. Very Rush-like, “Johnny” is smouldering King’s X goodness with a big fat bow on top, so get ready to get down. Most of the 11 minutes is a long jam, a laid-back one in fact, but just listen to the interplay. Fantastic stuff. After an exhausting listen like that, what you really need next is the pop-punk-country-funk of “Save Us”. Ending the album with a short pop rocker really snaps you back to attention, and then it’s all over.

Assigning a rating to a King’s X album is difficult when you haven’t had years to absorb them and grow into them. Having said that, Black Like Sunday” makes a good impression. The songs are adventurous if a bit awkward, and there are enough gems here to warrant a purchase. Added bonus: the booklet doubles as a 2003 calendar! An amusing touch.

3.5/5 stars

*There’s no such thing as an ordinary everyday King’s X album.

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