Kingmaker
Screamer
•
February 13, 2023
Wow! This album from SCREAMER is a classic! Guitar harmonies, great song writing, atmosphere, passion and skill. It's the full package! The title track is an excellent headbanger. Beautiful guitar work from the dual axes form an excellent sound for the band and when they break into a magnificent bridge and solo section it all comes together beautifully. Then we're back into that catchy chorus: Kiiiiiiiiiingmaker!!! Great opener to the album! Then we get a DEEP PURPLE and JUDAS PRIEST hybrid riff to kick off "Rise Above" which is another anthemic tune. That main riff is very catchy indeed. As with the opening track, I'm sure I can hear a thin layer of keyboards buried in the mix which puts a nice little flavour on everything and provides a bit of context. I'm also very glad that we can hear the bass guitar in the mix. Granted it's not as prominent as it could've been, but it's not drowned out like you tend to find with many new bands.
"The Traveler" confirmed my suspicions about they keyboards as they take front and center in the verses of this track. This is a fantastic song with atmospheric verses to die for and an anthemic chorus to go with! The whole song sits right on the beat and is set at just the right speed; not too fast and not too slow. Love it. Nothing more to say. I blistering organ intro greets us at the start of "Chasing The Rainbow" which reminds me of Swedish rock band HÄLLAS. The same reminder continues as the harmonized guitar intro rings out, but that's where the similarities end as we enter the heavier parts of the song. Fantastic musicianship throughout this one. I also have to mention the twinned guitar and organ solo (unless they've just used a pedal or something to echo the guitar with an organ). It's a great effect (either way)!
"Fall Of A Common Man" is the next track I'd like to mention. Just take a moment to absorb the meaning that title could hold. It could be about any one of us sat at our desks, working on building sites or sailing on fishing trawlers. I couldn't gather from the lyrics if this song is aimed generally at anybody or if it's about a specific individual, but either way I absolutely loved the song and was able to interpret it in my own way and put it close to my heart. The album closes with a powerful episode in "Renegade" which it's fair to say has just as much power any other track on the album. It also has that signature bit of keyboard buried in the background to keep an edge on everything. It leaves us with a catchy chorus so we don't forget to come back to the album later on.
SCREAMER have delivered a stunning album here. I think what's really helped them here is the exceptional production, but it must also be noted that the band's musicianship is superb. These guys really know what they're doing. Big respect to them!
8 / 10
Excellent
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Kingmaker" Track-listing:
1. Kingmaker
2. Rise Above
3. The Traveler
4. Hellfire
5. Chasing The Rainbow
6. Ashes And Fire
7. Burn It Down
8. Fall Of A Common Man
9. Sounds Of The Night
10. Renegade
Screamer Lineup:
Andreas Wikström - Vocals
Jon Morheim - Guitars
Dejan Rosić - Guitars
Fredrik Svensson Carlström - Bass
Henrik Petersson - Drums
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