King’s X Launched ‘Three Sides of One” on September 2nd, 2022.
Record Review by The Pit Master
It has been 14 years since the last King’s X studio album. The new album, Three Sides of One was released on September 2nd, and represents the culmination of this trip and of a bond forged way back in 1979.
Now, I am old enough to know King’s X. However, aside from Its Love from 1990 and Black Flag from 1992. I also discovered Over My Head from 1989’s Gretchen Goes to Nebraska record, which incidentally is now another one of my favorite records by them. I just recently dipped into their vast library of work to become more familiar with them. So, research and listen to King’s X is what I have been doing for the past several weeks as I wanted to give a great review of Three Sides of One.
Lifelong friends communicate in a language of their own peppered with shared memories, inside jokes, and dreams fulfilled. King’s X partake in a similar musical conversation informed by over four decades together as a band. The trio— Dug Pinnick [bass, vocals], Jerry Gaskill [drums, vocals], and Ty Tabor [guitar, vocals]—lock into an unspoken groove where each element shapes a signature sound singular to these three individual souls alone. No other band in history has pushed hard rock, alternative, metal, progressive, and soul into a galaxy quite like the one King’s X occupy.
Let It Rain Video – HERE
The opener and first single “Let It Rain” kickstarts this chapter. Clean guitar echoes over a steady beat before a deluge of distortion submerses the chorus’s plea, “So let it rain.”
I like this song with its clean intro that leads into a crunchy guitar solo. It is the first on the record that dispels any thoughts that King’s X was a Christian band by singing about people who blindly follow a higher power in the hopes that it will resolve their issues and concerns.
“I wanted to write a heavy song about the world as I see it,” Dug states. “It was like a prayer to the unknown god to do something. It seems like everything is a mess, and we’ve got no solutions. I was trying to agree with everyone and join the program.”
King’s X – Give It Up
My favorite of the first three releases. Has a ridiculous bass line and the guitar and drums are solid fixtures. Vocals are tight for a guy who is in his early 70s. I “air” played all three instruments on this one, it is funky AF!! Also featured on The Pit’s Big Hits #3 on Spotify!
A bluesy lick swings like a wrecking ball into a swaggering groove on “Give It Up,” which culminates on a manic gang chant. “After I turned 71, death was on my mind every day,” Dug confesses. “Chris Cornell killed himself, and I was thinking of that. Lyrically, it’s about not giving up until you naturally die. I want to ride it out until it’s over. I’m laughing about how I haven’t gotten a will yet, but I should have one. Musically, I wanted it to be really simple, so you can dance to it.”
King’s X – All God’s Children Video – HERE
Then, there’s “All God’s Children.” A dreamy clean guitar melody sets the tone before a trudging groove kicks in. It builds towards a towering chant. It’s probably going to be one of the most misunderstood songs of the bunch,” muses Ty. “I was looking around at all of these people who call themselves Christians, but they believe a whole lot of non-Christian things. They choose to believe anyway despite everything collapsing with all of the death and ugliness around their beliefs.”
If there was any question in the 70’s and 80’s that King’s X was a Christian band, then All God’s Children made certain that they definitely are not. I like this song as it is so relatable to people who say that they should look to the sky for redemption, when some of them know that all they are doing is looking at the sky.
The last song, Every Everywhere is kind of a cool departure from the rest of record which has an old, psychedelic, late 60s/early 70s feel to it. Great way to wrap up an album that makes you want to sing because the words and message are easy. The whole world is crying for love everywhere.
The closer “Every Everywhere” hinges on a powerful last word, “The world is crying for love, every everywhere.” “I tried to write a Beatles-type song everyone could sing along with,” Dug adds. “It says what it is.” In the end, Three Sides of One is everything King’s X were, are, and always will be. “To me, the train is rolling, and I’m on it like we’ve been doing for 43 years,” Dug leaves off. “We’re just old friends.”
King’s X architected a catalog of seminal releases. KERRANG! famously scored their 1988 full-length debut, Out of the Silent Planet, with a rare “5-out-of-5-stars.” On its heels, the landmark Gretchen Goes to Nebraska continues to inspire think pieces with Ultimate Classic Rock going as far to proclaim, “no one else has crafted anything remotely like it.” They notably appeared on the soundtrack to Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, and Guitar World christened the self-titled King’s X one of “The 30 Greatest Rock Guitar Albums of 1992” (a year notably highlighted by Pantera’s Vulgar Display of Power, Alice in Chains’ Dirt, Megadeth’s Countdown to Extinction, Dream Theater’s Images and Words, and many more).
Holy balls!! I have listened to this record numerous times and there is not a stinker on it! King’s X has put a lot of thought and effort into Three Sides of One and has easily become one of my top favorite records of 2022!! Get out and buy it and find out why King’s X has been noted as one of the most underrated bands in history!
My friend Bob sent me a message after he bought Three Sides of One and he told me, “DAMN! I get the chills every listen of the album. It is that damn good! And yes, I agree with you on Album Of The Year!”
‘Three Sides of One’ is available as Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g 2LP+CD+LP-booklet & as Digital Album. There is also a Limited Deluxe 180g Orange/Red Marble 2LP+CD+LP-booklet that also includes a poster and a hand-numbered print, as well as an exclusive variant of the front cover artwork. Pre-order now here: https://kingsx.lnk.to/ThreeSidesOfOne
The Full Track-Listing of Three Sides of One:
1. Let It Rain 04:28
2. Flood Pt. 1 03:03
3. Nothing But The Truth 06:03
4. Give It Up 02:59
5. All God’s Children 05:32
6. Take The Time 03:45
7. Festival 03:30
8. Swipe Up 03:46
9. Holidays 03:22
10. Watcher 03:43
11. She Called Me Home 03:57
12. Every Everywhere 02:40
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