“Show me how you die” is the opening line to Kingswood’s debut album, Microscopic Wars. The line immediately catches you a little off-guard, and so will the remainder of the album. It’s near impossible to pigeon-hole the band’s genre because it’s continually twisting and changing. This is a good thing.
The opening track, All Too Much, starts quite heavy but throws a curve-ball midway with a nice tempo change. Vocalist Fergus Linacre almost mimics the impressive range of Chris Cornell. Sucker Punch comes in with a head-banging grunge riff but the layered vocal dynamic is inspired by a ‘80s glam rock band. ICFTYDLM (an acronym for “I Can Feel That You Don’t Love Me”) is the most commercially-friendly track on the album.
The intro of Micro Wars is inspired by early ‘90s punk-rock; however the chorus, “They say the good die young it’s true so let’s make the most of me and you” is fairly uninspired and ruins the initial impact. So Long is playful, simple and extremely catchy – building towards a multi-instrumental climax. Ohio is the latest single from the album, which starts with wailing vocals and is backed by an epic blues riff.
Side to Side picks up the intensity again, reverting back to the alternative influences that kicked things off. Both Tremor and Eye of the Storm add piano to the already diverse instrumental mix, perfectly complementing the solid guitar work of Alex Laska. She’s My Baby is a classic rock ballad while Piece by Piece strips back the intensity, before ending on the perfect note with the whistling fade-out of Chronos.
BY CHRIS BRIGHT
Best Track: ICFTYDLM
If You Liked These, You’ll Love This: Soundgarden, Queens of the Stone Age, Regular John
In A Word: Unpredictable
