Review Summary: Not breaking new ground musically, but it turns up the intensity and proves KoG belong on the top tier of modern metalcore.
When thinking of bands such as Kingdom Of Giants, Fit For A King, Architects, Wage War, and the rest that continue to pummel our eardrums with the open-chord, down-tuned chug patterns that surround the modern metalcore scene, the thought that "all these bands are exactly the same" may come to mind. Not so fast. Some of them are Christian (i.e. FFAK) and some are are atheist! (Architects). Jokes aside, there is undoubtedly a lot of musical overlap between bands of this genre. However, for metal fans, I would not say that is enough to warrant skipping out on listening to this.
The California based Kingdom Of Giants has been around since 2011 and are on their third full length with "All The Hell You've Got To Spare." I don't think anyone would mistake them for a band that is breaking new ground in the genre, but they have proven they can create a front-to-back LP chock full of high-energy bangers (see 2014's "Ground Culture"). In short, this band is better enjoyed in a live setting, with the extra bouncy chug riffs, and steady crash cymbal keeping the tempo throughout almost every track. If you are looking for something to jump with at a show, rock out to during a workout, or jam in the car, this album is ideal for you. There are moments here and there showing great potential for this band, but the majority of the material on here is par for the course.
"ATHYGTS" is highlighted by exquisite guitar tones, (very wet on the distorted side, very bright and clear on the clean side), solid production throughout, catchy choruses, bouncy breakdowns, and fairly original lyrics, even when they are somewhat cringe-inducing. The opener "Cash Out" is about struggling with money (who of us can't relate to that??), but the ending breakdown where vocalist Dana Willax screams "hands in the air, life isn't fair" stains the track a bit for me. One of the most original moments (I mentioned there were a handful) on the record comes about 2 minutes into "Lowlife" where Willax breaks out a straight up rap verse. That will grab your attention on a metal record such as this. It actually functions really well and contributes to the flow of the song.
Another big highlight is the JT Cavey (of Erra fame) feature on "Tunnel Vision." His voice is very heavy and replaces the higher pitched shout-style Willax employs. It adds an extra level of intensity to that song, and makes it one of the standout tracks, easily. The lyrics on that one are also some of my favorite: "Achievement is the death of endeavor and the birth of disgust... You're under a spell, not in front of a gun, another rat in the race not fooling anyone." This calls to mind feelings of self-worth and self-doubt and gives the song an aura of nihilism, which always makes metal fans like me want to headbang hard. The message overall with this album seems to be very focused on the idea of self worth, which is important to address in a genre defined usually by negativity in that regard. That's to say, many who gravitate towards metal and metalcore battle anxiety and depression so I see this album as a great tool for releasing some emotion there. That is what I think gives it relevance in today's metal scene.
ATHYGTS is a solid progression from Kingdom Of Giants, and will surely put them at the top of the ranks of modern metalcore but is not breaking any new musical ground in the genre. I would rank it about equal with "Ground Culture" and say that it is absolutely worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre. But again, this music is really created to have a high-intensity live performance and bring out masses of fans to bounce at shows.
Standout tracks:
"Lowlife"
"Damaged Goods"
"Runaway"
"Motif"
