Review Summary: A promising start...
KXM is a rock supergroup comprised of Dug Pinnick of King's X fame (bass & vocals), George Lynch of Dokken and Lynch Mob (guitars), and Ray Luzier of Korn (drums). The individual members speak for themselves talent-wise, but the age-old question about supergroups applies. Can the members combine their talents into a cohesive musical experience? In the case of KXM and their self-titled debut album, the short answer is yes and no.
As I just mentioned, the members of KXM are extremely talented. Pinnick is known as a creative bassist and pretty good lyricist/vocalist, Lynch has long been hailed as one of the best guitarists in rock music, and Luzier is known as a more than serviceable drummer. On their self-titled album, the members of KXM all have their moments to shine. Dug Pinnick still sounds pretty good vocal-wise for his age, even if a notch or two has been whacked off the upper register. His bass playing is still rock-solid and his work on most of KXM's self-titled album maintains a funk feel, which propels much of KXM's songs above the standard hard rock fodder. George Lynch is a both a competent riffer and a tasteful soloist. Although his riffs sometimes sound like something another band would have written (Burn for example sounds a bit like Disturbed tone-wise), his solos are ahead of what most hard rock guitarists are doing nowadays (I'll Be Ok being evidence item #1). Ray Luzier's drumming is exciting to listen to and shows that he is much more talented than his day job in Korn would suggest (check the tribal rhythm in Stars, the funk-inspired beat in Faith Is A Room).
As for the songs themselves, there are three immediate standouts. Opener "Stars" rides along on a tribal drumming attack from Luzier and a beefy riff from Lynch as Pinnick carries the track with his pipes. "Faith Is A Room" is my favorite song on here, as it sounds a lot like a funky Alice In Chains song, complete with Pinnick's haunting vocal performance and Lynch's guitar tone. "Burn" does sound a bit like something Disturbed would do, but it is still a good song.
There are a few average tracks here, and a couple downright duds. "Gunfight" feels generic at times, with a less-than-memorable chorus. "Sleep" is an average ballad, with lyrics about domestic violence that feel like they could've been more eloquent. "Never Stop" is an generic acoustic track with the cringe-inducing opening lyric "I was totally stoned from the first time that I saw you". The lyrics on other songs are much better though. "Rescue Me" & "Faith Is A Room" both fall in line with Pinnick's well-known spiritual beliefs and as such add a positive sheen to proceedings.
KXM's self-titled album is promising debut for this new supergroup, and is just a great listen overall for anyone who is a fan of hard rock with a little more musical muscle. I recommend buying the bonus track version for the instrumental track "Tranquilize".
