When British alt-rock five-piece Young Guns released their debut album All Our Kings Are Dead in the UK last year, it peaked at number 43 on the UK albums chart and the band subsequently got nabbed to support the likes of Bon Jovi and Lostprophets. Now, they’re on their way to Australia to play at Soundwave Revolution (Soundwave’s spin-off festival), in September.
For a taste of what they’ll be bringing, All Our Kings Are Dead has been released here as a limited edition, including their debut release from 2009, Mirrors EP. Album opener Sons Of Apathy is a supercharged, hard-hitting track that is indicative of the style of the following songs. With hints of My Chemical Romance, Young Guns play hard and fast and overlay wailing vocals.
The songs are good, the band is tight and the tracks are all well written and produced. However, there’s no pushing the boundaries here – ticking all the style boxes for the genre, the album is composed of safe, repetitive musical phrases. However, there are elements of some tracks that enabled them to attract more attention than others.
For example, There Will Be Rain, from the Mirrors EP, opens with a rock ‘n’ roll influenced guitar intro and driving percussion. The stand-out track on the album/EP mix, it continues in this vein until the chorus, when the vocals are emphasized. Although, the same gutsy guitar interjects periodically, breaking up the otherwise lacklustre same-samey performance.
After The War also stands out as a highlight to break up the album. It’s slower paced; the lyrics inspire thought and the apparent combining of voices make the vocals powerful and seemingly insightful. Similarly, Winter Kiss stands out for the same reasons.
Despite this, All Our Kings Are Dead is nevertheless a good album from a young band. The similarity of the tracks suggests a comfort with their chosen genre and infers that they haven’t had time to develop a song-writing approach that pushes their boundaries as a band. However, experience may cure this. Meanwhile, they’re a promising act and a great addition to the Soundwave Revolution line-up.
If You Like This, You’ll Like: The Soundwave Revolution Lineup
Best Track: There Will Be Rain
In A Word: Promising
KELLY THEOBALD
