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Artist: Kingdom Come |
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By some, Lenny wolf is described as being "as daft as a box of frogs". If that's the case, he can be as daft as he wants as long as the songs he comes up with continue to be as good as these on 'Rendered Waters' an album of eight reworked songs and three brand new ones. The reason why the band have decided to rework the older tracks is simply :- bring them up to date and to appeal to a younger audience and to show where the band are now in 2011. Easy as that and not a bad idea either. It could also breathe new life into the band, getting them newer, younger fans along the way. There's a gutsy sounding makeover given to 'Can't Deny', where the wailing keyboards blend around a crushing guitar and bass combo, not too far away from what modern day Scorpions are all about at the moment. Must be something in the water over there in the fatherland these days! That said gutsy effect is also prominent in the hypnotic 'The Wind', which is slap band up to date with what's hot within today's modern rock scene. Wolfs vocals having a slight echoing effect certainly adds to the mood of the song. First of the new songs 'Blues Trees' comes over slightly tinny in comparison to the older tracks, though Nada Rahy certainly brays the living daylights out of his drum-kit to keep a heavy feel on a roll. 'Is It Fair Enough' begins as if it's going to be a lightweight Nirvana-type song, 3 chord jangly guitar with a simple drumbeat, but ends up a growling frenzy that Kurt & Co. would be put to shame with. Final new track 'don't Remember' should be described as a ballad but again those bludgeoning riffs and ear piercing solos don't conjure up any romantic feelings in any way. It'll be a brave man to ask a woman for the final dance of the night to this song! All three new songs are decent affairs from a band who have been around the scene for a fair few years, but its the revamped numbers that stand out most on this album. 'Should I' is slowed down a touch, where the floating keyboards give the sound a richness that's missing from the new trio of songs, 'I've Been Trying' has overtones of a new-age Soundgarden edging in here and there. You can hear why there's the odd dig about Led Zeppelin aimed at Wolf and the band on 'Pushing Hard', though surely it can't be taken as a negative observation if the song is as good as this. The section where the bass comes to the fore along with a phased guitar makes you want to skip back and play it over and over again. Apparently 'Seventeen' is an important song in Kingdom Comes repertoire, thought not knowing the original, it mustn't sound like this new version too much, as its the sort you wouldn't forget in a hurry! Apart from the suggestive lyrics, it's rumbling bass line alone exudes sensuality in its darkest form, as the song is portrayed that way. My favourite song on the album, and don't worry Lenny, it will get noticed one way or another! Back to normal then, the ballsy 'Living Out Of Touch' has wolf doing a fine impression of Klaus Meine, so it is without a doubt the water over there. Listening to 'Break Down The Wall', the likeness is uncanny, whether it's intentional or not. Anyone not too familiar with Kingdom Come would probably find it interesting to compare the original versions to the new recorded versions on 'Rendered Waters', and it'll be fair to say it would be to no surprise if the revamped tracks get the nod. Quite a fine set of songs for you to get introduced to this group, and without a doubt, there's definitely one song that will become a guilty pleasure for most! Review by: Bob Baldwin |
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| Tracklisting:
1. Can't Deny |
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