King Bull – What Happened Here? EP
King Bull – What Happened Here? EP
Riot Records
Release Date: 30/10/2020
Running Time: 18:11
Review by Martin Bennewith
8/10
Sometimes it is nice to sit down and listen to a good bit of rock music – music that has a familiar ring to it and that doesn’t try to be anything out of the ordinary. I kind of get that feeling with King Bull. King Bull are a young Canadian rock band, playing music with a style that is long before their time, and they pull it off well enough. I would describe it as rock with a touch of punk, with a swirling vocal style against dirty guitars and a driving rock beat. ‘What Happened Here?’ is a 5 track EP that demonstrates well what King Bull are about, that is, no nonsense, energetic rock.
The first track ‘Pay Attention’ has a fitting title – it is a short number, with distorted guitar, energetic vocals, and some neat simple fills. It has a positive vibe to it, and is a nice way to start.
The second helping, ‘Secret Sauce’ follows the same formula but is slightly less rough around the edges than the first – and is stretched out with more rhythmic builds and guitar fills. Once again, the vocal work is full of energy, and the stirring vocal style works really well here.
Track three ‘Dontcha Know’ has a different feel to the first two – it is not quite a rock ballad, and the best way to describe it is like a cross between Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and Guns N’ Roses knocking on heaven’s door – so again it is pure rock with uneasy vocals, sometimes fluttering, sometimes screaming, but always true.
Next comes ‘The Defender’ – and this one is very raw – it is probably the most punk sounding track on the EP, it is just raw dirty guitar energy and screaming vocals. The beat is driving and carries the track forward at a nice pace.
We finish with ‘B-side Baby’ – this track has a more serious storytelling feel to it, it has more defined sections, and holds back in parts to emphasise the vocals. There are some nice guitar feels once again and an epic guitar and scream fuelled finish to wrap things up.
Because of the unpretentious and simple nature of this EP there is not too much to say about it, so this was quite an easy review to do – it is rock music as it should be, and it really speaks for itself. 8/10.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Pay Attention
02. Secret Sauce
03. Dontcha Know
04. The Depender
05. B-Side Baby
LINKS:
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