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Kingdom Come: Rendered Waters

Melodic Hard Rock

3.5/5.0

SPV/Steamhammer Records
Website MySpace
by Craig Hartranft,  03.21.2011

Invoking the name Kingdom Come among a group of diehard hard rock fans might stir up some trouble. Most remember the debacle surrounding their self-titled debut album in 1998, subsequent comparisons to Led Zeppelin, and thereafter often being referred to as Kingdom Clone. Even Jimmy Page weighed in on Kingdom Come's (allegedly) ripping off Zep riffs. It is supposed by some that the weight of this criticism and the lackluster success of their second album was the cause of the band's implosion in 1989; only vocalist Lenny Wolf remained.

Honestly, I don't remember much of Kingdom Come after 1989. But Lenny Wolf has kept the band alive and recording albums, every two to three years, to this day. Kingdom Come's current recognition seems to be in Wolf's native Germany and surrounding European continent. However, with this year's Rendered Waters, Lenny Wolf does not want to dwell upon the past. He's wants you to hear what Kingdom Come is all about in the current day.

Therefore, Rendered Waters offers re-recordings of eight classic Kingdom Come songs as they are played today. Those songs are Can't Deny, The Wind, Should I, I've Been Trying, Break Down the Wall and the more famous Pushing Hard, Seventeen, and Living Out of Touch. There's a decidedly new clarity to each song, but mostly they're the tunes you recognize. Yet, Living Out of Touch and Breakdown the Wall stand out all the more.

The three new songs are Blue Trees, Is It Fair Enough, and Don't Remember. All are washed in the earthy and blues hard rock feel that show Kingdom Come at their best and most original. Nevertheless, I'm sure some will say they haven't escaped the motif of that famous 'other' band.

Ultimately, Kingdom Come's Rendered Waters and their hard rock legacy will continue to be debated ad infinitum. Fans will love this work I'm sure. To the remaining critical and reluctant few, here's some simple advice: give Kingdom Come 2011 a listen.

Ultimately, Kingdom Come's Rendered Waters and their hard rock legacy will continue to be debated ad infinitum. Fans will love this work I'm sure. To the remaining critical and reluctant few, here's some simple advice: give Kingdom Come 2011 a listen.

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Formed in 1999 by singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Erik Martensson, Sweden's Eclipse is well into their third decade of making music. In the recent past, their recordings and reputation have ... [ Read More ]