Kings and Daughters

The Lion

Kings and Daughters debuts themselves to the world with a five-track EP, complete with brutality and intensity to set your ears ablaze. The Lion wastes no time in launching into a hard-hitting cacophony of ripping guitars, pounding percussion and angry vocals.

Imagery (like “blood in your eyes” and “the empty space between my bones”) fit in with the sounds to create a state of mind that only metal can accomplish. It also serves to point out our physical mortality, as the tracks ponder things that drag us down in life before offering a bit of hope. “There are far better days ahead than any we have left behind,” they write.

A solid mix gives the catchy riffs a chance to shine. Driving rhythms will have you pumping your foot in time with the bass drum. The fierce vocals dominate.

My biggest complaint is that the screaming becomes monotonous after a while. Only at the end of the last track is any variety offered by way of a melodic wind-down to the intensity of the album.

I don’t know that I would classify The Lion as a potential classic, but it’s unquestionably metal-worthy of the time it takes to check out this free download.