Hills Of Kings: Neurotic Circuit

German rockers determined to get down

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The trend for low-slung Southern rock continues with Germany’s Hills Of Kings, who appear to have studied at the School Of Phil Anselmo Rip-offs. For a band that claim to be decidedly un-metal, they’ve made an album that bears the hallmark of a band trying to sound de rigueur.

There are enough acts sticking their flag in Monster Magnet/Down/Clutch territory, and doing it with balls, that we don’t need another. But HOK have come up with a cunning plan, mixing their languorous lawnmower riffs with the odd detour into alt-rock à la Filter, and stabbing at industrial in their closing piece.

The latter is wholly incongruous while their other efforts to stand out fail on account of the crap lead guitar parts, lack of direction and their singer’s affinity with the voicebox of Anselmo. It’s not all bad – production-wise, this is sharp, the riffs are gutsy and the vocals are muscular. There’s hope, at least.

Holly Wright

With over 10 years’ experience writing for Metal Hammer and Prog, Holly has reviewed and interviewed a wealth of progressively-inclined noise mongers from around the world. A fearless voyager to the far sides of metal Holly loves nothing more than to check out London’s gig scene, from power to folk and a lot in between. When she’s not rocking out Holly enjoys being a mum to her daughter Violet and working as a high-flying marketer in the Big Smoke.