KILL THE KING were formed in 2016 and they are from Pune, India. The Thrash Metal band release their self-named debut album, which has a length of more than 45 minutes. “Kill The King” was mixed and mastered by bassist Saurabh Lodha. The album is an independent release.

The album starts with the guitar-driven, tension-building intro “Sirens”, transitioning into “Hate Advocacy”, which is a traditional Thrash Metal attack. It is a fast track with tight Thrash Metal riffing and aggressive harsh vocals, which range around the medium to the higher end of the vocal range. There are a few tempi shifts throughout the track, typically, there is a shift from the blisteringly fast verse parts towards the mid-tempo bridges and chorus parts. The chorus parts are very melodic, unlike the hectic verse parts. The track includes a very contributing extended lead guitar solo. “Hate Advocacy” is a great Thrash Metal song, and it makes appetite for more. “Money Talks” continues with the pace, the riffing, and the classic Thrash sound. The vocals sound slightly deeper than in “Hate Advocacy”, but they fit excellently to the track. Feature of the track are the crunching basslines that drive the rhythm of the track. There are a couple of lead guitar solos during the song whereas the main one is the highlight of the track. “Money Talks” was released as official video, and the YouTube link is provided below.

“Freedom” starts frantic at incredible pace leading into the verse part with flesh-ripping guitar riffing and lots of double-bass drumming. The track is surely one for the pit with the chorus parts hardly slowing down. There is an abrupt mid-tempo break, which prepares for the lead guitar solo. The solo is played at crazy speed and seamlessly transitions into the chorus part. “Freedom” is a track for all Thrash fans who love it very fast and aggressive, and for me, it is one of the album highlights. “Abuse” starts with a guitar pre-lude leading into a slow opening with dark melodies which are orientally inspired. After the ultrafast “Freedom”, it had to become slower, however, focus is put on chilling, at times melancholic melodies in particular during the first lead-guitar solo. The main riff of the track is extremely tight and supported by the double-bass. “Abuse” is a track of two almost disjunct parts as there is an abrupt change to a verse and chorus part at crazy speed. The second part of the track includes an extended lead guitar solo. Eventually, “Abuse” comes back to the initial pace and theme. The track is with more than seven minutes playing time one of the longest album songs. “No Country For Women” starts with an extended mid-tempo guitar-driven part, which has a few Groove and progressive vibes. It is an instrumental and halfway through, the track raises speed, and the riffing and overall sound is a classical Thrash Metal sound with a few oriental inspirations once again.

While “Abuse” and “No Country For Women” came with a change in sound, “In The Name Of Culture” goes back to the relentless Thrash Metal attack at high pace. Some bits and pieces of the Thrash sound of KILL THE KING remind me at times on US Thrashers OVERKILL, and here certainly the verse parts have a few vibes. However, the main focal point of the track are the lead guitars and the multiple solos during the track embedded into another oriental melodic framework. The track finally concludes with a short acoustic guitar solo. “Regicide” is another fast track with the staccato-type of riffing supported by the double-bass drumming. While the verse parts are at crazy pace, the chorus parts are mid-tempo where the vocals include a few deeper growls for the chorus line. The mid-tempo break starts with a bridge introducing another excellent lead guitar solo. The extensions of the lead guitar solos on the album are clearly part of the signature sound of KILL THE KING. The album finishes with another fast banger. “Dystopian Reign” starts with tight riffing at high pace and aggressive and hectic vocals for the verse parts. The chorus parts are slightly different in comparison to the other album tracks as they come at a measured tempo with epic melodies. The lead guitar solo is driven by melodies with some melancholic features accompanied by crushing basslines and the double-bass. It is probably not accidentally that “Dystopian Reign” ends with the extended lead guitar solo.

The debut album of KILL THE KING is a banger. It is a classical Thrash Metal album with pace, aggression, tight riffing, great lead guitars, and cool vocals. As every good Thrash Metal album, it is mainly driven by the guitars. A main contributor to the KILL THE KING signature sound are the punishingly long lead guitar solos. KILL THE KING do not re-invent the Thrash Metal wheel, but they add some own characteristics to their sound. The songwriting leaves still a bit room for improvement, some of the songs could be tightened up. The album is well produced. KILL THE KING deliver a present for all traditional Thrash Metal fans, and with such a release, they have a promising journey ahead of them.