Every now and then, an album makes you wonder how you've managed to overlook a band for so long, and Usurper by Kingdom of Giants is one of those records. These California metalcore heavyweights are completely new to me, but with crushing riffs, atmospheric electronics and ridiculously catchy melodies, they've made one hell of a first impression.
It's been six years since the band released Passenger, an album that I have listened to since Usurper landed in my inbox, and quite a bit has changed for the band in that time. Bassist and clean vocalist JT Gutierrez has replaced Jonny Reeves, while frontman Dana Willax has taken on the production, mixing and mastering himself.
‘Respawn’ kicks things off nicely, combining punchy guitars with atmospheric synths and some seriously infectious melodies while tackling the frustrations of being stuck in a toxic relationship, and it hits a little too close to home having been there myself. Musically, there's a nice bounce to the whole thing, and it's one of those tracks that gets its hooks into you pretty quickly. ‘Out Of Step’ continues this very nicely with a filthy breakdown to boot.
‘Reign’ sees guitarists Max Bremer and Julian Perez serving up some gloriously chunky riffs alongside stomping electronics, and there's a breakdown in there that's going to cause absolute carnage when played live, and ‘Void of Form’ and ‘Gods of Karma’ are both violent ragers with some fantastic guitar work that will open up any pit.
Elsewhere, ‘Roll Credits’ and ‘A Part of You’, the latter featuring some beautiful saxophone playing from Gabi Rose of Bilmuri and Enrose fame, see the band embracing their love of synthwave, while drummer Truman Berlin also deserves a mention, providing a solid backbone beneath the layered arrangements and keeping everything moving without overcomplicating things.
'10 Cent Martyr' is another one that caught my attention, kicking off with some sparse synths before the drums come racing in. There's a nice mix of soft and harsh vocals, with a ridiculously catchy chorus thrown in for good measure. Interestingly, the lyrics were inspired by HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, focusing on doing the right thing even when it's the hardest choice. It's a nice little twist on the usual metalcore themes, and I reckon it works brilliantly.
I can’t help being reminded of the incredible Imminence album Axis Mundi, released earlier this year, by the knight-in-shining-armour imagery that adorns the album cover as well as some of the sonic elements. Both bands demonstrate how much modern metalcore has evolved, but if you prefer something dark and atmospheric, Imminence probably has the edge. If you're after electronic flourishes and a cinematic synthwave vibe, Kingdom of Giants might be more your thing.
It's not all perfect, though. As good as the production is, everything occasionally feels a little too polished, and a few unexpected twists wouldn't hurt the songwriting. Kingdom of Giants have clearly put a lot into this record, and it's certainly made me curious to check out what I've been missing from their earlier material.
I've always been more of a thrash and doom metal fan, so metalcore is still fairly new territory for me. I've been exploring the genre more recently, and bands like Kingdom of Giants are making me realise what I've been missing. I still love a planet-sized doom riff or a full-throttle thrash assault, but Usurper has definitely helped open my ears to something different.
Coming into Kingdom of Giants completely fresh, I wasn't expecting Usurper to leave quite such an impression. Sure, it plays things a little safe in places, but it's a beautifully crafted album that deserves to be cranked up loud, letting its atmospheric soundscapes wash over you. I might be late to the party, but I've clearly got some catching up to do. Not only has Usurper made a fan out of me, it's also a serious contender for my Album of the Year list.