VELVET THUNDER

It has already been well established that Frontiers Music has a wealth of talent on its roster and this allows them any number of available combinations when it comes to putting new bands together.

The latest band is Killer Kings which is a project put together for the American vocalist Gregory Lynn Hall (ex-101 South) and guitarist Tristan Avakian (ex-Red Dawn) with Hall being very well known as a truly amazing singer although Tristan Avakian may be a little less well known but is one of those multi-talented musicians that ensure that the wheels keep turning. His experience is huge and most diverse ranging from Cirque du Soleil through Mariah Carey, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Biohazard; I guess it’s all ‘just another day’ as far as he is concerned!

To complete the line-up they have turned to the ‘have keyboards, will travel’ supremo Alessandro del Vecchio who, obviously, adds keyboards and also bass as well as being on production, mixing and mastering duties. Nicholas Papapicco provides the drums with guest Tommy Denander appearing on the track Burn For Love. I was all prepared for a smooth, classic sounding melodic rock album and there is an element of AOR about the record but it is for the most part a most impressive hard rock album that well and truly rocks. As with so many other rock albums this is another with its roots in the 1980s when the metal gods strode the earth with Killer Kings combining the metal and hard rock of bands like Dio, Joe Lynn Turner era Rainbow and Whitesnake with the wondrous pomp rock of the legend that is Magnum with Hall having very much the sound and delivery of Bob Catley and that is enough for me.

The songs are perfect examples of hard rock with all the melody that you need with Hall giving everything a rich and luscious flavour over which Avakian lays down so many thrilling lead guitar breaks that your head spins. Del Vecchio and Papapicco are clever enough to realise that this is the Hall and Avakian show and are content to lay down a perfect soundscape for the two magicians to weave their magic.

Killer Kings has not reinvented the wheel but they have produced a fabulous old-school metal album that plays like some lost classic from the late ’70s/early ’80s but all brought up to date by the skill, class and attention to detail afforded by Del Vecchio.

If you are a fan of quality hard rock then you simply cannot ignore this exceptional album and I can only hope that there is more to come from the band as Burn For Love is an amazing release.

Burn For Love is out now on Frontiers Records