Embedded Files
KINGS OF MERCIA “Battle Scars”
KINGS OF MERCIA “Battle Scars”
By Colonel Angus
Those of you who know me or have ready my reviews (or my Top 10 Lists for that matter) know that I love FATES WARNING. I’ll even say I love all the off-shoot bands like OSI, ARCH/MATHEOS, ENGINE, and latest band NORTH SEA ECHOES. Pretty much anything Jim Matheos or Ray Alder touch, I’m going to purchase. I love the prog metal leanings of those two artists so it came a bit of a shock to me when KINGS OF MERCIA came out. It is unlike the other material Matheos has been a part of so I was it took a little for me to wrap my head around. Ultimately, this is a classy affair of quality melodic rock with a slightly heavier edge.
The record starts off with “Guns and Ammunition” which is a slightly faster rocker that sets the tone for the rest of the material. Vocalist Steve Overland, also of melodic rock legends FM, sounds great and proves that he is the perfect foil for Matheos’ guitar work. Speaking of Matheos, he never seemed to follow any type of guitar script and made his own path. Here, he almost sounds energized by branching out his musical wings into a genre that he really hasn’t touched upon. As the album progresses, the next couple of tunes give me a slightly harder BAD COMPANY feel. Overland pulls in some vocals that remind me of Paul Rogers. “Eye for an Eye” and “Between Two Worlds” harken back with parts that have a 70s rock sound, especially the latter.
“Legend” continues a bit of that BAD COMPANY vibe but as I keep listening to it, it is definitely Overland’s vocal performance that gives it that feel. Matheos does a typically great job with the catchy riffing but also adding layers of lead work all over this track. I am hard pressed to pick a favorite off “Battle Scars” but “Legend” is one of the high points on the disk. As with all melodic rock records, there is always a ballad and the title track is that spot where the band gets a bit mellow. There are a few spots where this song reminds me of the material on NORTH SEA ECHOES but as a whole, it is firmly in the ballad category. It’s not a bad song, it just get outshined by all of the other material.
Things rock out again with “Don’t Ask” where the chugging riffs will have you tapping your foot as soon as the song starts. I really like the solo in this track, it is short but really effective, Mathoes has always made sure the songs comes first and this track is a good example of just that. The moody “Aftermath” hints a little at FATES WARNING but there are a good amount of melodic rock elements that gives this tune a bit of a hybrid sound. Just like “Legend”, this is a high point on “Battle Scars”. While “Hell ‘n’ Back” starts off a bit slow, it develops into quite the hard hitting rocker that harkens back to the opening track. There is a driving energy that is infectious within those two tunes that makes it difficult to sit still and both would make great driving songs.
The record ends with “Cold” and “Angels & Demons” with the former being another great rocker while the latter is starts off as an acoustic tinged ballad that is much better than the earlier “Battle Scars” but half way through turns into another hard hitting but extremely melodic rock track. Matheos shines throughout the record but on the last song, he manages to pull out all the stops and produce some awesome guitar work.
KINGS OF MERCIA is a not a band I would have expected from Matheos based on his previous prog metal output but releases like “Battle Scars” proves that talent can manifest in all genres. My suggestion to all FATES WARNING fans is to set aside all your expectations and just listen to the music. You will be happily surprised at how good this record is and how often you will return to “Battle Scars” over the coming years.
Report abuse