That being said, there’s plenty to enjoy here, you’ll just have to dig around, and pick and choose, to find it all. Much like Closure/Continuum, listening to this one made me go back and revisit my old King’s X albums rather than wanting to keep playing this newest release. But the songwriting is too uneven to elevate Three Sides of One into the same realm as the band’s iconic releases of the 1990s. The hallmarks of King’s X are here: the mix of metal, prog, soul, and lyrical spirituality, the sweet vocal harmonies, Pinnick’s grinding bass, Tabor’s excellent solos, and Gaskill’s laid-back groove. Elsewhere, “Nothing but the Truth” is a soulful ballad that, at over six minutes, drags a bit but is saved by an outstanding Ty Tabor solo. The silly lyrics and raw vibe make it seem like a throwaway track that was added to lengthen the album. “Festival” does as well, but (going back to one word) it’s a dumb song. The band get heavier on occasion, with opener “Let it Rain” and “Give it Up” both bringing some solid hard rock to the mix. Sticking with the mellow vibe, “Holidays” and “Every Everywhere” both have a bit of The Beatles influence buoying them up. Back to the one-word description idea: harmless. “Take the Time” is a sweet little acoustic number, featuring the band’s trademark amazing vocal harmonies paired with a melody that possesses Steven Wilson-like pop sensibilities. These guys have been playing together for more than four decades, and despite the uneven songwriting it shows. And of course Gaskill crushes it on the drums. Pinnick’s bass could be louder at times, but when it has that nasty growl (like “Let it Rain”) it’s a thing of beauty. And despite the heavy mastering hand, the band sounds great instrumentally. Another of the band’s historically strong points is vocals, and that holds true throughout, whether it is Pinnick on his own or the excellent harmonies the three of them create. After a month of listening, I struggle to find fault in anything he’s laid down here, whether it’s laid-back melodies, discordant metal riffs, or his amazingly tasteful solos both “Watcher” and “All God’s Children” are elevated a notch above forgettable with his impeccably arranged leads. In fact, the highlight of Three Sides of One has to be Ty Tabor’s work. It feels like the band has tried to write material that encompasses everything, but in doing so they haven’t excelled at any one facet. No other songs are that schizophrenic, but the album as a whole is. ![]() Back and forth we go between the two extremes for three minutes in disorienting fashion. Then the verses come, highlighted by strings and sweet vocal harmonies. 1.” 2 It opens with cheesy orchestral hits and manic screams before a thick, nasty riff destroys us. Nowhere is this more evident than on “Flood Pt. If I was forced to use one word to describe Three Sides of One, it would be odd. ![]() Can Dug Pinnick, Ty Tabor, and Jerry Gaskill still write some great material? That’s old, but age doesn’t bestow nor hinder success songwriting does. The trio have a combined age of 195, which is almost the same as Steel and I. Three Sides of One is the band’s 13th album, and first since 2008’s XV. Now this week we see a new album from the venerable melodic prog rockers King’s X. Back in January Jethro Tull released their first album in 19 years 1. A couple months ago we saw the release of the not-amazing-but-not-embarrassing new album from Porcupine Tree, Closure/Continuation. 2022 seems to be a year for bands I was a fan of in their heyday to reunite.
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