When you say old-timer, many take it as an insult. In the world of metal & rock n roll, that’s experience. No one can give you a taste of that cold steel and thunderous calamity which will befall you than the greats, still rocking it out. Kardinal X are no less, unleashing mayhem with their new album The Revolution.
It is a roller coaster ride on a streaming platform, 10 songs each with varying flavor but the same barbeque chef. Quick paced, riff packed and insert in this King Diamond style vocals, you have yourself some who are ready to blow the amp up every time they perform.
From the forged depths of metal
Topping the tank off with Cult of XII, Kardinal X unleash into a Megadeth style riff pattern that alternates between the fingers of Mustaine & Chris Bluser from Black Veil Brides. The band have electric energy and are ready to unpack it with every song, as it is heard here with a thunderous pace and we are underway for something special.
Continuing with the King Diamond vibe, Heretic relies on the suspending motion of the clean electric & vocals. Both shine through with an unusual chord progression giving formidable atmosphere to the song. Click of a switch, and we are in a Dio style riff delivery that would make Vivian Campbell swell with pride. We step up into quicker tempos and face melting solos that bridge back to the chorus, the sweet riff that snaps back like elastic. Great track and only two songs down.
Rivers of Blood breaks open the seal of silence with the sound of marching soldiers, quickly plunging into a Racer X style riff that could have been written by shred god Paul Gilbert himself. It is melodic, light and plays frivolously with the vocalist’s pitch and tone. A classic hard rock banger tune, with enough plunges to make it a Judas Priest chant, shaking stadiums together.
With the darkness of Sabbath comes the due you pay the devil. With an evil riff that would send shivers down your spine, Dark Light is a visual from a hellscape, which translates to blast beats with double bass for the thunderous intro. The riff is a Marty Friedman compositional masterpiece, with the double bass in the chorus making it worth the palpable tension and evil. Every second seems well spent immersed in a riff or the screeching vocals. Brilliant effort.
Rolling riffs to heavy riots
Once again, the clean tone of the guitar welcomes us to another searing red abode. The Plot has a rolling riff that sounds heavy and occupies real space in the song. The distortion is also a great crunch, amplified furthermore with the quick displays of debonair drumming. The mid-section has the tendency to sound like Metallica’s riffs from the …And Justice for All years, but who doesn’t love that album? Supremely clear and well composed solos are finely placed through the songs. I cannot stress enough how much the vocalist sounds like King Diamond. Eerie.
Saint Agony utilizes the church choir effect to lead into my favorite riff of this album. It is shocking no one has played this heavy a riff before, because Saint or not, this will do some summoning. Absolutely something Hetfield would play during the Black Album years. The down riffing is a treat always, and the rest of the song just helps in amplifying what is already impending doom for the protagonist. The quiet composure of the mid-section of the song allows the bass to shine through, with a redeeming solo that obliterates the composure with quick tapping and other solo techniques I’m terrified to name.
The pain in petrichor
From Raining Blood to Riders on the Storm, everyone likes the mystery of rain and what it brings. It Always Rains is one of those tracks as well, trying to set a tone for the song before it begins. With clean guitar, we go into a Enter Sandman style riff. The song continues in its furious pace, with more riffs and a great guitar part that further raises the stakes for this quick paced track.
There Goes the Neighborhood teases some great slide guitar that reminded me of In My Time of Dying by the mighty Zeppelin. Quickly shifting to a catchy Tom Morello style bouncy riff, the song goes on with a blues spine that refuses to budge. The song belts through like a storm, making it a perfect track to be near the closer of the album.
Scourge progresses into a nu-metal, alt-rock sound which shifts, and dare I say helps define the audacity and energy of the album. It is a prog-rock anthem, full of solos and insane riffs. It is the quintessential track for an album like this, supreme in sound quality and a renaissance for heavy metal & rock.
One More Trick is the final song of the album, and carries with heavy Tool vibe, especially from forty six and two. There is an eventual shift to a hard rock tune that shakes your spine, with fury and rage. Great closer for a superb album.
Focus up and take note young rockers, Kardinal X is giving lessons. There album is a precipice for indie metal and hard rock, with well balanced tracks and a thunderous response to the white noise of the mainstream.
Listen to their album here:
Check out our playlists here!
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.
Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
