King's X
XV

August 2008
Released: 2008, InsideOut Music/Border Music
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: Anders Sandvall

XV is the title of the brand new King’s X album and thier15th album so far. The album includes guest appearances from many friends of the band. The trio does what they are best at; delivering strong funk/soul influenced classical hardrock.



12 strong tracks are delivered but the band has done something different this time. They wrote the material before they went into the studio, earlier they always wrote everything when they were in the studio. All of the members have written material on their own. The only song that was written inside the studio was “Go Tell Somebody”. A few highlights are the songs “Pray”, “Rocket Ship”, “Alright” and “Go Tell Somebody”. These songs are heavy classical hardrock tunes with progressive parts with choruses that are all strong and easy to sing a long to. Lead vocals and guitar are in focus as well as a very heavy and solid rhythm section. Then we have “Broke”, “Move” and “Stuck” which have a distinct soul/funk influence.



The albums weakest moments are the ballads. I think they should stick to what they do best and that is classic hardrock with funk/soul influences. The second part of the album feels a lot weaker than the first and it is in the second half that the ballads start coming. I do not think this album is going to be a milestone in their career but it is a nice waste of time. The legendary Michael Wagener has produced XV and the members made the decision to record every instrument live together in the studio instead of recording separately. That was a smart move because the production sounds awesome.



XV is not one of those albums that I’m gonna play over and over again, but it’s nice to listen to in small amounts. It is a solid album that is going to appeal to the King’s X fans worldwide.



http://www.border.se