King 810
Suicide King
---originally published on Lambgoat---
If nothing else, King 810’s career thus far has been
interesting. With lyrics worthy of being written on a junior high school desk,
a vocal delivery that appeals directly to the juggalo crowd, and a gimmick that
included Public Enemy style “security” equipped with assault rifles on stage,
it seems like the band should be easily written off by anyone that has
officially hung up their jncos. Yet, as a person who lived his formative years during
the heyday of nu-metal I think I can actually understand the strange appeal to
the groups seemingly juvenile approach.
It’s music to lift to, mosh to and, if necessary, release your angst to.
Sometimes you just want something you don’t have to think about.
During their heavier moments they have been a generic
beatdown band with played-out, uninspired riffs, but King 810 have shown some
hints at being something more. Sections of acoustic guitars, keys and string
arrangements added a more melodic and artistic depth to their 2016 release La Petite Mort or A Conversation With God.
They even put out an EP entirely void of heavy material in 2017. Unfortunately the band was unable to overcome
two major obstacles: successfully fusing the two polarizing sounds, and vocalist
David Gunn’s inability to branch out from reusing the same children’s book
cadenced vocal line in nearly every song.
The group’s third full-length album sees the band moving in
yet another direction. Most of Suicide King exists at the intersection
of Insane Clown Posse, Korn and Emmure. For
whatever it’s worth, if you are actually still reading after that, it’s somehow
not as bad as it sounds. King 810 can be crushingly heavy (“Braveheart”) and
sometimes even work in some clever hooks (“A Million Dollars”). And there is something to be said about
including a track like “Black Rifle” that is some sort of apocalyptic hybrid of
a pop song, complete with pounding kick drum and hand claps.
But it’s difficult to overcome Gunn’s vocal resemblance to
ICP. On tracks like “.45” and “What’s
Gotten Into Me”, King 810 ditch the heavy backdrop for 808-inspired hip hop
beats. The problem is Gunn’s rapping
style is really just him speaking slowly through gritted teeth. It’s the same type of maniacal façade that
the wicked clowns themselves utilize.
Now, I don’t doubt Gunn comes from a fucked up place, the tales he
lyrically tells of the street life in Flint, MI take you to darker depths than
a Geto Boys record. But the delivery of
his vocal comes off as stereotypically horror movie villain, hurting the
materials serious nature rather than helping.
Gunn actually does a good Jonathan Davis impression in the
chorus of the floundering “God Is Watching,” a song that spends its three and a
half minutes waiting for something to happen.
And that’s really just what a lot of Suicide
King is, some ideas that never quite flesh out into anything
substantial. “Bang Guns” rap verses and
heavy refrains clash rather than complement and closer “Sing Me To Sleep” is
essentially a build up to a climactic finish that never comes.
I do, however, have to give King 810 credit for “Wade In The
Water”, an intriguing number featuring the chorus of the titular gospel tune. This, like their mellower EP, is actually
where the band succeeds most. With the
ability to spread themselves out, King 810 actually sound more
comfortable. The song builds up through
underlying tracks of synths and string arrangements, leaning on the familiar
melody at the base. It’s the standout
moment of an otherwise mundane record.
Bottomline: Suicide
King is a step up for King 810 from their previous releases. However, it is a short step at that. The heavy moments are too brainless and the
hip-hop influenced moments are too cliché.
The few highlights don’t do enough to pick this record up.
King 810 - Heartbeats - Suicide King
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