Kingdom of SorrowKingdom of Sorrow Relapse RecordsFive Stars
Crowbar and Hatebreed are icons of modern heavy music. It’s near impossible to find a new heavy, hardcore act that doesn’t swipe a sludgy progression from the former or dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun riff from the latter. So, it came as no surprise that rumors of a collaboration between Hatebreed frontman/Headbanger’s Ball host Jamey Jasta and Crowbar guitarist/vocalist Kirk Windstein lit a fire in the eyes of hardcore kids and longhaired metalheads alike.
And the fruition, Kingdom of Sorrow, lives up to every bit of its hype.
Windstein’s doomy, deep-south metal lends dark atmospherics to such tracks as “With Unspoken Words,” and Jasta’s hardcore roots provide focused, up-tempo anthems such as “Begging for the Truth.”
But most noteworthy is the surprisingly inspiring brand of brutal, southern, almost-power metal of “Hear This Prayer for Her” and “Grieve a Lifetime.” The mellow gloom of Crowbar’s ’98 rocker Odd Fellows Rest merges with the breakdowns of Hatebreed classic, Satisfaction is the Death of Desire, to form something extremely rare: an original sound in the often stale heavy music scene.
TemposharkThe Invisible LinePaper and GlueFour Stars
British electro-rock act Temposhark staked its claim in the production game through collaborations with Imogen Heap (Frou Frou) and big-shot producer Sean McGhee as well as remixing artists from hipster-idol M.I.A. to American emo-poppers Hellogoodbye. The Invisible Line proves that Temposhark is a force to be reckoned with as both a production luminary and a legitimate, full-length-penning pop band.
“Don’t Mess With Me” christens Temposhark’s debut full-length with an Imogen-esque melody laid atop swelling strings that build for a full two minutes before climaxing in a symphonic declaration from singer Robert Diament: “This is how I rule the world.” And more than a dozen dancefloor burners later, Temposhark’s got his back.
“Joy” leads the group through Depeche Mode-ish electronic, swing rhythms and hooks to die for. Trip-hop atmosphere arrives brilliantly in “Battleships,” with melodies that’d do Portishead proud. And “Crime” introduces the melodic simplicity of The Neptunes to the macabre moods of ’80s Brit-pop and brash sex appeal of ’90s American pop.
Temposhark’s debut full-length follows in the footsteps of knob-twisting aficionados from Brian Wilson to Dr. Dre, proving that some producers can back up their critical bite in the pop game.