Search - King's X :: Out of Silent Planet

Forgot how good this album is

C. Benner | Los Angeles, CA | 03/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Funny to listen to this again after so many years. Lotsa great tracks and the songs just get better and better the more you listen. You can really hear the influence Kings X must have had on Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, etc. "In the New Age" alone has elements borrowed by each if those bands. "Far, Far Away" has some of the best vocals dUg has ever done and the key change coming out of the bridge is just sick. "Shot of Love" hasn't aged well though, sounds pretty geigh, but is the only blemish on a great record that started the whole "D" tuning craze."

Out of this (Silent) world

Herbert Fremont | Michigan USA | 05/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I first saw "King" on MTV I fell in love with the powerful groove of the band that in the coming years I would come to love more than any other. I instantly relished the opportunity to turn on some of my friends to them, who would also become devoted fans. The music was like nothing I had ever heard before and, despite the influence they have had on the world of hard rock, like nothing I have heard since. The first sign of their uniqueness is their use of drop-D tuning. The added crunch was important to give impetous to their grooves, but unlike most who have used this tuning since, power was not the only thing it added. It gave Ty Tabor the ability to create chordal structures that were truly groundbreaking, making his guitar one of the most unique instruments in rock music. The arrangements as a result were intricate, but the boys made it all fit into the overall structure of the song; the chords fit just right. Doug Pinnick's voice is the heart of the band and on 'Planet' he sings with a gravity that touches your soul but with a freedom that takes you away. The harmonies are unlike any other hard rock band (the only comparison I have ever come up with is CSN).

Finally, the songwriting and lyrical content are amazing. The songs have solid grooves with powerful chord progressions and melodies that are memorable but inventive. The lyrics are more intelligent and positive than any other metal band and probably were the main reason they never got off the ground. They sang about spirituality and real issues in an age where blatant sexual references and satanic posing were the tickets to success.

'In the New Age' begins the album with a strong statement about pseudo-spirituality with a muscular melody playing against snaking guitar lines and almost spooky backing vocals. Goldilox is a love song, one of a very few King's X love songs, of haunting beauty. Then comes three songs that I always take as a set in my mind. 'Power of Love', 'Wonder' and 'Sometimes' are songs of spiritual longing that can make your heart break but since they are so smartly crafted they have are totally devoid of sappy sentimentality. 'Power of Love' is as the title suggests a 'powerful' ode to the meaning of love and one of my all-time favorite songs. 'Wonder' is a song about the band's struggle with how their spirituality fits in to their music and their everyday lives. Then 'Sometimes' comes back with the confidence that their faith finally brings them. 'King' is a song with a groove as big as Mack truck and just as heavy, yet, it is a song of hope for justice. 'What is This?' is an example of how exceptional King's X are at weaving a sound picture. The verses admit the confussion and doubt that a life of faith brings to one in a world that rejects people who are different and the swirling, lurching guitar reflects it. But, then the power of the chorus again brings home the reassurance that faith can still be. 'Far, Far Away' is overshadowed by the other songs on the record but its still a very good one--there simply is not a bad song here. 'Shot of Love', the second single, is probably the best song on the album but shows why they couldn't get very far. How does a record company market a band whose best song references holy communion but shuns the label Christian? Finally, the lyric "The lunatic says goodbye to those who say they love him" from the final cut, 'Visions' is an example of just how different King's X is. Most of the song is a durge that depicts the slow confusion of insanity--which Doug admits he feels sometimes--but then kicks into frantic crazyness that when played live leaves one floored by the band's tightness and control within a seemingly chaotic arrangement.

From top to bottom 'Out of the Silent Planet' is as perfect as you can get. The only possible problem with it is that the sound isn't as polished as it could be, but that was never Producer Sam Taylor's intention anyway. Polish would have gotten in the way of the emotion. This is a band that could make you think and feel, a very rare thing. Though FHL would be their most ambitious album and Dogman would be their most powerful album, this was their most consistanly brilliant album. This one goes to 11."