4 kings loud
Reviewed by Chelsea Sinnott
Published: 21 January 2010
lp: mortal coil
'Mortal Coil' is Adelaide band 4 King Loud’s debut album. An ambitious feat for any band’s first, delivering 10 tracks of rock songs that have been well worked on various South Australian stages over the past 12 months or so. While the album kicks in immediately at a high tempo with ‘Ambition’, what is also immediately apparent is the production that hasn’t quite cut it on this release. While the vocals take the steady middle, the guitars and drums are a reedy backdrop to what are ultimately strong songs.
‘Darkened Door’ has a great opening guitar line, which is then completely overshadowed by a startling homage to Stone Temple Pilots circa ‘Vaseline’, thankfully saved by some well-written harmonies. Title track ‘Mortal Coil’ is an interesting change of place in which 4 Kings Loud noticeably stray from their influences and produce something unique, and the upbeat ‘Your Alibi’ is quirky, catchy and frantic with syncopated bass riffs throughout.
There is no doubt that 4 Kings Loud channel an era gone by with their music. This band is going to resonate with anyone who was old enough in the '90s to be able to appreciate the humble album, the journey that the artist took the listener on, and the personal introspection and meaning that lyrics could give an audience before they were all written by Sony staff writers. ‘4 Kings Loud’ present their heartfelt opus in ‘Lover’s Knot’, a sometimes tragic, and somewhat inspiring but always soulful tale that is honest and beautifully communicated.
'Seven Days' and 'Filthy White House' are rockier tracks in which the structures channel a little Tool and Soundgarden, although the vocals and timing changes on 'Filthy White House' keep the track interesting. The album closes with the stomp rock onslaught of ‘The War’, which captures the essence of the entire release well in its presentation. This track builds and builds, stops abruptly and leaves you wanting more. It’s passionate, it has depth and it rocks.
4 Kings Loud should be proud of their release, the production values and the length may be a bit of a challenge for them in time to come. It can be sometimes worth it to absolutely nail 5 tracks instead of ‘getting there’ with 10, and it doesn’t overly do them justice when considering how well this band smokes on a live stage. The songs are there though, and armed with that and a shit hot stereo, it makes for a good album to sink your teeth into.
