ALBUM REVIEW: All The Rats – Kings Never Die
The tightrope between uplifting, positive messages and serious topics is one that KINGS NEVER DIE have been walking since their inception in late 2019. They released their debut EP, Raise A Glass, in early 2020, but the COVID pandemic meant that their plans for 2020 and 2021 were delayed, including their debut album. After a line-up change and the release of another EP, Good Times And The Bad, last year, KINGS NEVER DIE‘s highly anticipated debut album All The Rats has arrived.
Across ten songs, the band cover hardcore, punk and metal, and cram them full of fantastic sing-alongs. Stay True opens with a message of staying true to yourself. It is undoubtedly positive, and whilst some might view it as cliché, there is something earnest and uplifting about it that is endearing. We all need to hear a message of self-positivity once in a while. It’s not perfect though; whilst the instruments are kept in the background so the vocals can be heard, they are also rather simple and one note, which doesn’t make the song very exciting.
This same issue crops up in the next song, Stand For It All, but thankfully is rectified in This One’s For You. The latter has the fantastic addition of gang vocals, which makes the song sound more alive. The song is about unity, and there is nothing more uniting than everyone singing together. The instruments sound more alive on this song, and – despite the slightly shaky start – this is where the album really finds its groove.
It’s not all positive vibes on All The Rats either. Were We Friends At All? explores toxic friendships with brutal honesty. The title track is an interlude, which allows the instruments to get their time to shine. It also serves as an introduction to Never In My Eyes, more of a classic hardcore punk track which shows that the band are not just sticking to one style. Their genre mixing does not feel out of place, and the solid production ensures each of the songs have their own time to shine.
The pacing of the album is generally high, but even with the relatively short runtimes of some of the songs, they are given room to breathe. The latter half of the record skitters through a mix of hardcore, punk and rock, but it doesn’t sound rushed as a lot of the songs have a runtime of almost four minutes. Even the shorter songs, such as The Juice, which is just under two minutes, don’t feel rushed, even if the fast-pace of the instruments might suggest otherwise. With a different band, it might be that way, but it is clear that KINGS NEVER DIE are experts at their craft.
Overall, despite a slightly weak start, All The Rats lands firmly into the category of brilliant debuts. Whilst it isn’t perfect, with the first few songs having a somewhat lacklustre instrumental backing, it is still relatively early days for the band, so that is easily forgiven. Thankfully, the album also quickly finds its feet, with the band offering a good mix of rock, metal, hardcore and punk. Whilst they don’t experiment too much, what they show is promising and could hint at the potential for their future releases. For now, All The Rats is a debut full-length that was certainly worth the wait.
Rating: 8/10
All The Rats is set for release on May 26th via Metalville.
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