ALBUM REVIEW: Kings Of Mercia – Kings Of Mercia
If there’s any point to encounter a rock supergroup, a debut release is a pretty good place. You get to see the initial vision, they have as much time as they want to create it then drop it and there is not as much pressure as trying to follow a successful start. Considering KINGS OF MERCIA are combining the likes of Jim Matheos, lead guitarist of FATES WARNING, amongst other notable acts, with powerhouse vocalist Steve Overland of FM, Simon Phillips of TOTO, THE WHO and many others, and Joey Vera of ARMORED SAINT, FATES WARNING and many more, it’s one hell of a mixture to pour into the cauldron. The result? A heavy mixture of prog-tinged AOR that has all the production you would expect from such top artists.
It should really be no surprise as to what we have received from the band, given their pedigree. You don’t get to play with the calibre of acts they have between them without being amply talented and it’s a fantastic surprise to hear just how well Overland has been looking after his throat, given his ability to both croon through the ballad Too Far Gone and hit an impressive range of notes across all of the album, and hopefully a good sign of what’s to come in future. The guitars and bass are so well gelled that they fit seamlessly with each other, though their shared time in FATES WARNING of a quarter of a century likely has a good deal to do with that, while Phillips playing in the acts above through JUDAS PRIEST and such others mean we already know he’s highly versatile and able, so it’s no shock how well he has fitted in musically.
Both Wrecking Ball and Liberate Me have been pre-released as singles and serve excellently to show exactly what KINGS OF MERCIA have set out to do: create some top-level rock and roll that harkens back to a number of the acts that the talented quartet have played in across the years. With all tracks sitting in the region of four to six minutes, it’s a sign of how well they have gelled alongside each other that they can craft exactly what they want with such apparent ease – one that belies just how technical some of their creation actually is.
The overall feel of the music is very similar to what you would expect from the likes of FATES WARNING – prog-influenced AOR, very well produced and mastered, in a style that would fit in well alongside 70s greats such as AUTOGRAPH and their ilk. While there is little surprise just how good this album is, you should not write this off as standard fare – it has been created at a great standard and hints at a superb chance as an additional project for all of the guys outside of their other commitments. It’s highly worth checking out and should hit you straight in the face from the off.
Rating: 8/10
Kings Of Mercia is out now via Metal Blade Records.
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