Monday, December 26, 2011

New Band To Burn One To - Kingsnake


I had the good fortune of representing Heavy Planet recently at the Borracho vinyl LP release party in Washington DC, where I got to spin some killer stoner/doom tracks between bands. It goes without saying that the guests of honor nearly tore the roof off the venue during their headlining set, all the while rocking their audience with their intensely deafening groove. What wasn't quite so expected however was that said audience would already be worked into a sweaty mess before the party hosts ever even took the stage thanks to four dudes out of Philadelphia, PA. Dear readers and followers, allow me to introduce you to Kingsnake.

Go ahead and hit play on the nine tracks the band has available through ReverbNation and treat yourself to their sleazy, gritty swagger. The sound will immediately bring to mind the more bluesy side of Clutch…think keyboard era stuff from Robot Hive or Beale Street. And vocalist/guitarist Bill Jenkins' delivers his tales of women and woe in a gruff, raspy tone that will certainly draw comparisons to Neil Fallon. It'll come as no surprise then that Jean Paul Gaster handled pre-production duties on Kingsnake's debut Book of Promise…how about that for some street cred?


Listening to the album, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that all four of these guys are seasoned musicians who feel right at home behind their respective instruments. But it's the live setting where that fact is truly brought home and if you have an opportunity to see them…do not miss out. Lead guitarist Brian Merritt jams like a man who sold his soul a long time ago to obtain that talent. And drummer Matt Farnan is having so much fun laying down the beats, he'll have your head nodding up and down involuntarily before you even realize it…the shit is trance-like. And lest you think Matt Kahn is just another rock n' roll bassist who idly stands in the corner plucking out the backbone of his band's sound, not so friends. The man has no problem strutting right out to the center of the stage to let you witness his slap and pop "hammer ons" and "pull offs" in all their funky glory.


But enough of my rambling about how great this band is and how much you're gonna love 'em. Go grab yourself a six pack, crank up the Kingsnake and pony up to the Christmas tree for a killer fucking light show. Consider this a belated present from Heavy Planet. You're welcome.


ComScore

Kingsnake is:

Bill Jenkins - Vocals/guitar
Brian Merritt - Lead guitar
Matt Kahn - Bass
Matt Farnan - Drums

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1 comment:

  1. Imagine if you will, SRV fronted Clutch (Blast Tyrant era).

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