They've been together for nearly 30 years and releasing music for 25, and King's X remains criminally underrated. Their body of work is eclectic, compelling and always relevant, but except for a brief time in the late '80s and early '90s have flown under the radar. I first discovered the band when they released the outstanding Gretchen Goes To Nebraska in 1989. If you watch "Metal Mania" on VH-1 Classic, you've seen their video for "Summerland" that's from that album.
In 2008 King's X is as vital and vibrant as ever. XV finds the trio of Doug Pinnick, Ty Tabor and Jerry Gaskill in excellent form. The band's fifteenth album has some of the heaviest songs they've done in a while. It's also packed with King X's trademark groovy medium tempo songs and a couple of ballads.
King's X are excellent songwriters, and this CD has a lot of memorable hooks and catchy choruses. The band has never been afraid to state their beliefs, and there are a couple songs, including "Pray For Me," that explore the spiritual side of things. XV is a little more polished than some of their past work, but it has a lot of variety and shows King's X has a lot of life left in them.
(released May 20, 2008 on Inside Out Music)
