Sunday 25 August 2013

KingBathmat - Overcoming The Monster (2013)

Genre - Hard Rock / Alternative / Progressive
Label - Stereohead Records

Track listing:
01 - Sentinel
02 - Parasomnia
03 - Overcoming The Monster
04 - Superfluous
05 - Reality Mining
06 - Kubrick Moon

KingBathmat return with their eclectic mix of hard rock, prog rock, neo-prog rock and alternative rock in the form of their seventh (yes 7th!) album, Overcoming The Monster, and what an album it is!
Whilst not as instant as its predecessor, Truth Button, Overcoming The Monster still has a hell of a lot to offer, its just that this time around the listener is required to put in a little work themselves, and actually listen to the album, as with each spin of this tremendous disc you discover more and more layers to each track!
Album opener "Sentinel" is a great rocking piece, with heavy guitars, combining with strong vocals and abundance of keyboards slotting in nicely into the driving melody. "Parasomnia" follows, a moody composition with epic moments and dreary atmospheres starting as if its a horror/thriller soundtrack. The band mix things up a little more with the albums title track, "Overcoming The Monster" with its Fripp like riffs, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis styled melodies and very harmonic vocal lines. The guitar / keyboard interplay has a really British sound. Awesome.
 "Superfluous" is the neo-prog number,Reality Mining", the shortest song on the album, is about technological monsters: the state using technology to snoop into our private affairs, very apt considering the news as of late!
In contrast the albums closing track, "Kubrick Moon", is the albums longest track. Atmospheric is the right word to describe the first part, almost cinematic, including some awesome Howe-approved guitars. Then towards the middle the song gets a punch of energy and goes in a full power section, another great song by the way.

With Overcoming The Monster, KingBathmat show that that they are going from strength to strength, and prove themselves to be amongst the best prog bands in the UK if not the world!

Very highly recommended!

Rating - 10/10

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