California rockers King Gorm find the time portal and travel the wormhole to 1970s-style neoclassical, progressive heavy metal

Don't judge this band by the album cover!

In the late 1960s heavy metal coalesced around some pioneering bands and then those bands proceeded to walk into the 1970s like they owned the decade. This was the period of time in which psychedelic rock, hard rock and progressive rock were united into a single entity by the pioneers.

That adventurous spirit is the essence of the California band called King Gorm. Most of us reading these words do not remember the 1960s because we were not there. Neither were we there in the stadiums at the concerts in the 1970s. That's ok. This band does not remember, either, because they are also too young to have been there, but the music of that time has captured their imagination and this is their way to bring those times of artistic freedom to the orthodox, rules-based, strict political religion regime that is today's metal (and rock) music.

So perhaps the band could have asked some artist friends to draw up some castles, unicorns, rain, rainbows, sunshine, psychedelic elements for the art of the album. Maybe the cover would have been more eye-catching if the band had directed the artists to study the album covers of the pioneering bands.

Regardless, this is a heavy metal band. They do not call themselves that because the bands did not call themselves that back in the day. Listen to the drum work. It could not be anything but a metal drummer doing that. The guitar playing? That's heavy metal, too. You kids call it "proto metal." Fine. You do that. Call it retro or classic rock, whatever. As long as you give the music a chance.

WARNING: Your ears will need to adjust! Repeated listens will help.

ABOUT: Some bands often claim they are ‘taking it back to the days of old’, but in King Gorm’s case it is quite literal. Much like their namesake - a Danish ruler from the 900s - the San Diego collective focus on telling bard-like tales, though updated in the form of classic rock. Their self-titled début album is a bold first step, reinventing familiarity by taking the legends of old and putting a modern spin on them. Across the record, the listener bears witness to Hammond organs and screaming guitar solos duking it out, while bass lines and frantic drumming run like madmen underneath. The freshness of this music can be attributed to numerous factors, one of which being that it was recorded live from the floor (with only vocal overdubs), thus the chemistry of the musicianship shines through such as on “Four Heroes”. The band are also unafraid to go exploring, resulting in tracks like “The Witch of Irondale”, which swings from insistent prog rock to proto-doom in its 7-minute duration, or “Slaughter the King” and “Ultimate Reality”, two songs showcasing the wild nature of the band’s live show.

So which legends’ names are heard echoing within the album’s walls? Ritchie Blackmore figures prominently, not least for his fantasy-driven lyrics and powerful rock riffing (especially during Deep Purple and Dio-era Rainbow days). Elements of Led Zeppelin (the dragons and wizards-driven “Song From Brighter Days”) and Pink Floyd also float to the surface, such as in mastermind Francis Roberts’ soothing bard-like voice (which, for a latterday reference, also bears comparison with Motorpsycho or Arjen Lucassen). But this is more than an homage - there is a real sense of taking this music to places where those bands did not reach, reshaping it in exciting ways. King Gorm is the sound of a band who may be relatively new to each other, but certainly not new to the game. With their combined experience in an eclectic mixture of bands liike Old Man Wizard, Dread Crew of Oddwood, Kirby’s Dream Band, Beekeeper, Eukaryst, White Wizzard and others), there is no shred of doubt that these four can and have put together a top-notch rock n’ roll record that is bound to capture both classic rock and fantasy fans alike.

King Gorm by King Gorm