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Stereohead Records
by Craig Hartranft, 01.10.2013
Here's an interesting surprise from the fertile fields of English progressive rock: KingBathmat and their sixth album Truth Button. Yet I suspect the band is no stranger to prog aficionados in their native country, with five albums in their discography already.
Putting your finger on what makes Kingbathmat tick or defines their sound may be rather elusive, but not entirely. The band traverses a lot of prog territory from classic UK styles to modern alternative versions, with some rock fusion elements flitting around the mix. Truth Button can sometimes be big on riffs, even heavy to the metal side of things. Then, alternatively, they can be wistful and sublime in the same arrangement as Book of Faces or Behind the Wall display. The End of Evolution flows over a layer of swirling and quirky keyboards at the start only to merge with delightful melodic rock having an infectious groove. The magnum opus is likely the finishing song, Coming to Terms with Mortality in the Face of Insurmountable Odds, an epic piece with a curious ebb and flow between traditional and eclectic prog rock. At times, KingBathmat reminded me of King Crimson joined at the hip with Genesis but than washed through The Mars Volta and rinsed with some Coheed & Cambria. Consequently, Truth Button is oddly interesting and entertaining progressive rock. Recommended.
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TweetKingBathmat's Truth Button is oddly interesting and entertaining progressive rock from a band with more than a few surprises up their collective sleeves.
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