Kill the King boast a sleek, modern thrash sound, albeit one boasting a healthy old school kick. Despite their Indian heritage, Kill the King’s sound is rooted in American influence, with nods to scene legends Testament and Exodus, and occasional flashes of the elastic modern metal of the awesome and hugely underrated Byzantine. Aside from the obligatory moody intro piece, energy levels are appropriately cranked from the outset, the sleekness and polish counterbalanced by the band’s rawer, feisty assault and a punchy, no-frills production job that lends clarity to proceedings without stifling Kill the King’s ruggedness and aggression. Through nine tracks across 45 minutes, Kill the King offers plenty of meaty substance, including several songs that unfurl over six minutes plus timeframes.
“Hate Advocacy” fires off tightly wound bursts of thrashing speed and crunchy riffs, opening up to a big anthemic chorus featuring the burly, distinguishable barks and growls of vocalist Pritam Adhikary, amidst oodles of chugging groove. Throw down some shreddy axework and Kill the King is off and running with solid momentum. The scene-setting instrumental opener is the only bit of accusable filler, otherwise, Kill the King offer ample substance and largely play it straight and to the point. This is not to suggest Kill the King is a one-trick pony. While songs like “Freedom” and “Money Talks” display the band’s full-blooded thrashy wares and infectious riffs, marking fiery balls of rage, emotion and tidy thrash chops, there are more extravagant and ambitious elements at play across the album. The lengthy “Abuse” is a neatly fleshed out and ambitious tune that spends its first half exploring moody, tension-building territory and mid-paced thunder, ratcheting up the emotion and atmosphere, before cutting loose into an explosive, climactic second act. It’s a well-composed piece, showcasing serious potential, clever pacing, and terrific musicianship.
The line-up features the talents of guitarists’ Aditya Swaminathan (Gutslit, Demonic Resurrection) and Rishikesh Dharap, a duo with talent to burn and riffs of solid quality. Extra dollops of technical flair and shreddy goodness add to an otherwise more straightforward thrash template, which largely plays to the band’s strengths. However, it’s the bells, whistles and indulgent shreddage that offers some sweet entertainment – check the riotous work on “In the Name of Culture” for an example of the technical fireworks, complementing the more traditional, aggro thrashcore. While I’ve enjoyed my time with Kill the King, there are a few wrinkles to iron out on subsequent releases. I feel the band can still work on cultivating a more distinct identity and personality all their own, and though the lengthier songs generally work well, overall, the album runs a tad long, with a couple of less distinctive and impactful songs in the mix, and tighter editing required. Meanwhile, Adhikary’s vocals are full of venom and emotion, fitting the part well, though their aggressively upfront placement in the mix can occasionally overbear and grate.
Kill the King show tons of promise and talent on a confident, if still rough around the edges debut, all the more impressive in being both a first-up LP, and a self-released effort. The individual performances are tidy across the board, the writing solidly entertaining, without ever blowing minds or quite elevating Kill the King to must-listen territory. Nevertheless, there is much to like and a solid foundation for the band to build from on future releases. Kill the King is a punchy, gritty thrash platter worth a listen, with the extra spicy axework adding to the enjoyment.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: killthekingofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ktkindia.official/
Releases Worldwide: November 3rd, 2023
