Windsor crunchy hard rockers Thy Kingdom Slum are less than two weeks away from the release of their debut EP A History of Dissent. The five-song collection gets its official release on February 17 at a release party at The Back Stage.
It’s a stunning debut of crunchy, heavy rock that borders on punk and metal, but never stays too far into either one. Less moody and more to the point than similarly sounding Drowning Pool, Thy Kingdom Slum are more proudly rocking in the vein of Korn or a less rappy Disturbed or Limp Bizkit. Basically, it’s music that rocks the shit out of you.
For a debut effort, the sound is clean, clear and very pro. Hats off to Brett Humber at The Sound Foundry in Kingsville, who recorded and co-produced the EP with the band. It’s always great when a band appreciates the low, bottom end with a big drum sound, which is exactly what A History of Dissent accomplishes. Bassist Ray Solomon and drummer Brandon Gourley seem to have more chemistry on record than bands like Alexisonfire have had in their entire 16-year career – not bad for a little Windsor band that’s been around for less than two years.
The EP opens with Reign Black Flags, a crusty track with plenty of balls. Vocalist Michael Edwards gives enough growl for just the right amount of edge, but makes everything easy to follow and understand – something that many of the metal screamers seem to forget.
The rest of the tracks slow down a little or change the pace into something a bit more Korn-like, with 5even standing out as a modern hard rock tune that feels like it has some Alice In Chains or Rollins Band undertones.
The guitar work from Trevor De Block and Chris Mayville is pretty solid throughout, with some pretty cool riffs, like the infectious rhythm in Presence of Mind. Mayville’s lead guitar shines during the solo in Not Your Enemy, which actually has an Ace Frehley (KISS) tone to it.
Thy Kingdom Slum have a solid record with A History of Dissent and they make an impressive debut that will please stubborn rock fans looking for something that kicks a little ass. If the EP is any indication, the live show at The Back Stage will be one of the highlights of 2018.
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