Death of Kings : "Regicidal Demo"

This is not our first time with Death of Kings as we reviewed their previous seven inch "Knife Hammer" This time around they recorded in the practice space, cutting the bulk of the tracks live. They have been one of those bands whose studio output I felt sounded little like what happens on stage. Some of this is due to the fact , the vocals are often sung in a lower register giving an older Mastodon feel, when in truth Matt Matson normally carries on with a thrash shriek falling some where between Udo of Accept and Kreator. Here those vocals are delivered and their punk roots kick up the sort of rowdiness that is a better representation of what they do and who they are. This is the first recording with Matt Kilpatrick in the band.

The first song that really stands out is the more metal gallop of "Sojourn" since the first two songs fast thrash that blurs past you and have a somewhat similar attack. "Sojourn" comes off of the speed and allows more of a groove to form. The guitar solo in this song breaks things up a bit. The band has not deviated much from their signature sound. They continue down a more metallic path with "Descent into Madness". The first verse finds the vocals taking on much more of Tom Araya cadence and musically has a lot in common with say "God Hates Us All"  Slayer, though funny enough their drummer Amos backs off on the double bass a little and their is more Slayer in his cymbal work. Around the three and a half minute mark things speed up in time for the guitar solos and this brings out more of their punk side.

I think they have found a formula that really works best for them when it comes to capturing the band's essence. This might not be the densest guitar sound they have ever recorded , nor the heaviest, but it is the most accurate. Some of the more dazzling solo section are plowed over in favor of an over all snarlier sound. Don't let the Suicidal Tendencies font fool you, these guys aren't joining the army any time soon, the crossover element is more at the intersection of where more modern Slayer collides with punk than 80s skate metal. A case of just because you like D.R.I doesn't mean that what is going to come out of your amp. The rawer production lends it self to an over all more feral experience shedding the nods to Iron Maiden for a gritty condensed punch that this demo packs. If you like what you hear here then make sure to catch the band when they roll through your town because what you hear is what you get.