Album Review: Supernatural Disaster – The Kingsnakes
So, in all honesty, I didn’t know very much at all about The Kingsnakes before downing a few barley beverages and heading to The Magic Stick for the band’s CD release party a few months ago. I mean, there was the obvious stuff about The Kingsnakes being a straight-up no frills barroom rock band, and it was fairly common knowledge that Detroit guitar wrangler Danny Methric use to sling axe for the ‘Snakes … Outside of that, though, I’m afraid that I was fairly clueless (yeah, I know – what else is new, right?).
That night was my introduction to some good live rockin’, indeed. Falling somewhere amongst the guitar rock influence of bands like Bloodrock and AC/DC, The Kingsnakes chugged out riff after riff and solo after solo like it was something all five members of the band were just divined to do together. Of course, that night a copy of the band’s Supernatural Disaster CD was snatched up, and that fact eventually led me here, to the beginning of yet another journey as CD Reviewer Man.
Upon first listen, the commanding tone of the guitar solos in this collection of songs really sticks in the brain. Elliott Moses absolutely nails everything he attempts on the leads, and while not every song on the disc is an arena rock anthem, the disc as a whole is much stronger for his work.
As far as the songs go, most everything here fits under the ‘70’s rock fare’ department in some way. “Messin’” is a jangly southern rocker in the vein of Lynyrd Skynyrd, while the stop-and-go rhythms of “Pussyfoot” back rhythm guitars that would’ve sounded right at home within the Led Zeppelin catalogue. “The Wick” is a dirgy stomp with a killer riff and some slide guitar and harmonica flourishes. The album’s best rock number is the album-opening “Whore on a Dragon,” with its killer rhythm riff, multiple guitar solos, and weirdly sing-song, 70’s rock wail scat-style chorus courtesy of Thomas Mann. Pound for pound, though, the album’s best track is the slow-burning “Plastic Man,” which starts as a psychedelic lull before building up to a bluesy guitar solo wail.
Admittedly, the band does sound better in concert than on disc, as it seems that the live atmosphere gives the band’s sound an extra bit of oomph that seems to be missing from the production work here. Still, though, the fact remains that Supernatural Disaster is a fun little rock album with some impressive guitar heroics. – Gary Blackwell