Founded in 2013 by David Hill (guitars), Tony Forde (vocals), and David Haley (drums), King play a mix of melodic blackened Viking metal, owing as much to the sounds of yesteryear as they do to modern styles. Reclaim the Darkness is an expertly produced album, thick was massive guitar riffs, acrobatic drumming, and plenty of colors & textures, with Forde's gravelly rasps injecting the right amount of venom. Bridging the gap between icy cold black metal and the seafaring journeys of Viking/pagan metal, King have an accessible sound yet it's more than heavy and extreme enough. Fist pumping anthems such as the title track and "My Destination the Stars" instantly get the blood pumping, while the raging "All in Black", "Night Sky Abyss", and "Winter Sons" deliver Immortal styled crunchy black metal with all the majesty and might you would need. In fact, throughout much of Reclaim the Darkness, there is this sort of 'Immortal meets Amon Amarth meets Enslaved' vibe going on, which is not necessarily a bad thing by any means, and gives you an idea of just how classy this album really is.
"One World One King" closes things out here, and it's a tasty, majestic blackened metal gem that kind of summarizes all that is good about this very enjoyable album. King are a band that we are no doubt going to be hearing a lot about in the months and years to come, so make sure you don't miss this one.
Track Listing
01 Cold Winds
02 Reclaim The Darkness
03 All In Black
04 My Destination The Stars
05 Night Sky Abyss
06 Winter Sons
07 Black North
08 The Journey Begins
09 One World One King