Kingcrow – Hopium

Having seen Kingcrow twice at ProgPower Europe I thought I was familiar with their style. On the initial listen their new album “Hopium” sits outside of what I remember. For confirmation of this, I did revisit some earlier albums, namely ‘Timetropia’ and ‘Phlegethon.’ They appear to be moving away from progressive metal and more towards progressive rock. It took a few plays to get used to this new approach, but a little perseverance got me there.

The band who formed in 1996 originally as Earth Shaker, soon changed their name to the current one. That change to Kingcrow was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” Their first album ‘Something Unknown’ was released in 2001 and with each subsequent release they have moved further away from their original roots.

The upbeat, slightly poppy style of the opening track ‘Kinsugi’ reminds me vaguely of bands such as Pattern Seeking Animals. A lively staccato accompaniment to the verses gives way to a smoother chorus section complete with backing vocals. It is one of three songs on the album that are under the four-minute mark but provides a strong catchy start. It is also a good indication of what to expect from this album.

As the tracks come and go it becomes evident that the band are keen to experiment and add as much variety as possible. From the laid back feel of ‘Glitch’ and ‘New Moon Harvest’, to the heavier ‘Parallel Lines’ and ‘Losing Game’ that clearly shows. The longer ‘White Rabbit’s Hole’ is one of the most varied tracks on the album. Incorporating many changes, from a slow and relaxed start it moves through multiple tempos and time signatures seamlessly.

What some have construed to be an electronic sound at the start of ‘Night Drive’ is not what it seems. The band recently posted an explanation of the effect on their Facebook page. This reveals it as a combination of drum rim shots, claps and a guitar case being played with a drumstick. This mix was then heavily compressed and distorted to arrive at the sound you hear. That does not apply to just this track, anything electronic sounding on the album has been created using this method. Now when I listen, it seems obvious and could not be anything other.

Although influences are many, they are merged in rather than copied. There is a slight disco/dance undertow to ‘Vicious Circle’ whilst title track ‘Hopium’ is a different beast altogether. Being also the longest song on the album at 8:21, it ends up being the most diverse. Heavy in parts, softer in others with a catchy middle section, it is perhaps my favourite track on the album. In fact, I prefer the second half of ‘Hopium’ the album, but that is my personal choice.

To finish they slow things down with the closest thing to a ballad in ‘Come Through’. As it slowly builds it has a vague hint of Neil Diamond in places but again maybe that is just me. Anyway, it is a peaceful mellow finale to an interesting album.

This is album number eight for Kingcrow, so presumably they are quite a long way out from number one style wise. Like the Voyager 1 spacecraft – currently over 15 billion miles from Earth and counting, they are constantly heading into the unknown. Who knows where album number nine will take them. Maybe that is not even known to them at this stage. Perhaps like Voyager 1 it will be into darker and stranger realms.

Track-List:

1. Kintsugi
2. Glitch
3. Parallel Lines
4. New Moon Harvest
5. Losing Game
6. White Rabbit’s Hole
7. Night Drive
8. Vicious Circle
9. Hopium
10. Come Through