King 810
La Petite Mort or A Conversation With God
(Roadrunner Records)
Michigan’s King 810 are back with their sophomore disc, which is a bold departure from the Slipknot-influenced material reminiscent of their previous record, Memoirs of a Murderer (2013) in that it is something that I would consider a “fierce spoken-word album.” Now to describe that, you’d have to consider the murderous poetry of frontman David Gunn which reminds me a lot of Corey Taylor’s early work in Slipknot, especially on “Scissors.” Just imagine that same kind of creepy sociopathic poetry spanned out to nearly a full sixty minutes and placed within the form of several different tracks, each with it’s own identity and some well-appreciated experimentalism.
For instance, there are approaches on this one that remind me of early trip-hop, especially Tricky. Saxophone and female vocals even appear on this record. I’m sure that some of the big, burly dudes that are expecting a thrashing from this one are going to be a little let down by the show of trip-hop and fifties style lounge cuts that appear on the disc like “Life’s Not Enough” and “Me & Maxine” but to me, these are some of the greatest things about the album. I mean, after about eight or nine songs detailing more or less “how awful it is to be in a gang” I get it. I understand how awful and horrifying it must be to plunge a knife into someone’s gut and to put a gun up against someone’s head and blow their brains out. I get the image, the ferocity, the aggression and the spot-on lyrical delivery that combined begin to remind me of a horror film. It’s just a breath of fresh air to see that there is more to this record than just that. That being said, these grisly lyrics still make for an energetic musical technique that will appeal to those looking for something that has the same vibe as death and gore metal but is more grained in reality than songs about a horde of zombies from the planet Neptune.
I also loved the last track on the disc, “A Conversation With God” which may as well be the second title cut. It talks about something that I feel is also a bit more interesting than gangs, such as the corporate oligarchy and those elite groups within it that pull the strings – yes, even the strings that control the record company these guys are signed to. It’s all old hat, nothing to see here – but it’s good to see a record coming out that speaks some actual knowledge, as it were. While that is going on, we also have orchestral influence that at sometimes feels like a move soundtrack. Seriously, the latter part of the disc takes on a completely different aspect by which some fans are going to be a bit upset about. The Slipknot influenced stuff is practically gone, even though the heavy choruses still remain. Though that doesn’t surprise me as these guys have gone on the record for saying that they never wanted to make the same album twice, and believe me – they haven’t. You’ll have to actually open your mind a little for this one, as the vocals have such a high point in the mix that the band mostly serves as a backing element for the poetry. I also know that very closed-minded people will not pick up this one at all, because they won’t be able to accept the fact that Gunn more or less talks through the entire disc. Granted, you’re only listening to an hour of speech here, and it’s quite decorated with some punchy sections. You’re not being asked to listen to thirty hours of Alan Moore’s Jerusalem, by which you’ll be about ready to stab yourself in the face. Rather, you’re listening to what I would consider to be very entertaining, if not chilling pieces that feel accented by the metallic element of the band.There aren’t any guitar solos or thrashing sections and most of the disc relegates to a down-tuned groove when entering a metal aspect. But it’s enough of an experiment to make people turn their heads, because there simply hasn’t been anything like this before, especially from a mainstream act. To be honest, this entire album seems to borrow from “Scissors” more than their last and I would personally love to hear King 810 cover the cut that they’ve seemed to take so much from. Of course, we could also say that they borrowed from “Iowa” as well, but I think the atmosphere here is far more inviting than that of the aforementioned, which is the only boring experience that I’ve ever had from a Slipknot track.
It is also worth mentioning in “Vendettas” a point where the lyrical matter of the band changes from the usual gang/murder fare into something of a metaphysical and spiritual nature. Some people will undoubtedly scratch their heads, especially if they don’t believe in such things, and because of this they might consider Gunn a bit insane or ill-informed. Some fans who have even gone so far as to carve the band’s name into their skin might begin to look up means by how to fix the damage, as this won’t be the same King 810 they remember. I can even hear some of the comments on the internet now. “These guys believe in this shit? I’m getting my tattoo removed.” But all of this goes to show you that sometimes a band makes a change that could prove so controversial, it risks losing some long-time fans of their previous work. Yet in every major change, new fans slowly come on board and that will probably happen here as well. I stand by my score, because there just isn’t anything like this in the modern market and I don’t think that there will ever be. When you listen to La Petite Mort or A Conversation With God, you’re getting an actual experience, not just a heavy dose of aggression. It feels like the audio equivalent of an experimental horror film, just with a stroke of realism (whether exaggerated or not) that replaces mutant monsters and demon hordes with drug-addled gang members. I don’t know much about gangs personally, as that was never a subject I was quite fond of, but if you’re looking for an exploration of the rough streets put into a format perfect for celluloid, this will definitely be an album for you. It’s certainly a surprise that none of us would have ever expected. The question is, how well will it do with the fans?
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