Album Review: Kyng – Burn the Serum

Kyng – Burn the Serum
Release Date: April 15, 2014

After way too fucking long, Kyng has returned with their follow up to 2011’s Trampled Sun.  Remember that old saying, “good things come to those who wait?”  Well, this is definitely the case but replace that “good” with “fucking stellar.”  In just three short years and endless, relentless touring Kyng has become a well-oiled machine.  They honed their craft as songwriters/performers and really seem to have created a connection with their fan base.  They learned from the constant touring and playing just what it is that their fans connect with.  Trampled Sun was a great debut but sonically it didn’t come close to capturing the dynamics of Kyng as a live band and song wise, while strong, seemed to have Kyng trying to find themselves and their sound.  With Burn the Serum I hear a band that seems to have found their own identity on an album that truly captures the sound and the vibe of hearing Kyng as a live band which is where they truly thrive.

The opening track “Burn the Serum” starts off almost sounding kind of like a psychedelic Smashing Pumpkins jam ala Gish but then takes a swift turn into oncoming traffic with a groove that totally caught me off guard.  I had seen this song done live before so to hear it make as much of an impact on the album proved to me that they had done it right.  In all honesty, the album was off to a great start but the minute “Electric Halo” kicked in I had to pick my face right up off the floor and reapply it.  What the fuck did I just hear?  This massive Dio-era Black Sabbath like riff with easily one of the best and catchiest choruses in metal hands down.  This song is downright infectious and not only is this Kyng’s best song to date but it currently resides in the top tier of my favorite metal songs.  Yeah, it’s that fucking good.

“Sewn Shut” is another amazing song that shows how Kyng is a band who isn’t afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves and this isn’t a bad thing.  While this is the case, Kyng manages to take those elements of Sabbath, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and even some Corrosion of Conformity and throw it all into a blender creating their own easy to swallow pill.  Song for song Burn the Serum just blew my mind.  The only song on this album that seemed to stick out like a sore thumb was “Faraway.”  While not a horrible song it’s very forgettable and luckily the rest of the album buried it with monstrous riffs, spot on vocals, harmonies, hooks and choruses that make the hairs on the back of my neck stand at full attention.

What I love so much about Burn the Serum is that it shows a significant growth for Kyng.  In this album I hear a band that has cut their teeth on the road and have not only learned to hone their craft as songwriters but to also sound like a band who has figured out what they want and where they want to go.  Burn the Serum exceeded my expectations as to where I hoped Kyng as a band and as songwriters would be and it only has me wanting more.  With Burn the Serum, Kyng has managed to break the genre barriers and offer the world an album that any fan of heavy music can easily find something in there to love.

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