King's X

    King's X

    Springfield, Missouri27 reviews across 15 releases

    alternative rockhard rockprogressive metalprogressive rock
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    King's X is a rock band formed in Springfield, Missouri, in 1979, then developed in Houston before its 1988 debut. Its core sound joined heavy guitar and bass to three-part vocal harmony; melodic songwriting kept the experiments accessible. A sitar could appear beside a Deep Purple-like organ, while Beatlesque choruses and Sly Stone-inspired grooves sat inside a metal framework. Out of the Silent Planet introduced the band as Christians who did not present themselves as a Christian band. Gretchen Goes To Nebraska pushed further into ethereal passages and less commercial structures while retaining hooks such as "Over My Head." By Dogman, the production was darker and less polished, with a live edge, heavier riffs, and lyrics marked by anger and personal strain. Early records drew strong notices, though sales remained limited.

    In 1998, King's X moved from Atlantic to Metal Blade and made Tape Head by writing and recording together in the studio, a change associated with its looser, more immediate feel. Metal Blade issued two more studio albums before the band moved to InsideOut in 2005. The members also worked separately: Doug Pinnick released Poundhound and solo records, while Ty Tabor and Jerry Gaskill took part in outside projects. Gaskill's 2012 heart attack interrupted the band's activity, but the trio later resumed work. InsideOut issued Three Sides of One in 2022, the band's first studio album in fourteen years. The original trio remains intact, although recording has become intermittent.

    15 releases reviewed