Christian Rock -- Quick! Who do you think of? Amy Grant, Bob Carlisle, Michael W. Smith... Mostly, this style of music has a lite rock flavor, with references to Christian religious anthems.
In King's X case, they are referred to as "a band of Christians, rather than as a Christian rock band." Hard-rock, alternative formats come to mind when it comes to King's X, and listening to their 1992 self-titled release, this album may be hard to find on CD, but if you do locate it, it's an album worth listening to, for the fan of hard rock, and especially alternative.
"The World Around Me" certainly grabs your attention as a pure
alternative rocker that could easily get regular airplay on
alternative rock format radio, and likewise the repeat button
activated on your CD player. "Prisoner" is moderate, not as heavy
as the album's opening track, yet this song has potential. "The Big
Picture" is more of an alternative rock ballad, and another good
potential player.
Having a more pop feel with an alternative mix, "Lost In Germany" could also be another hit on regular rock formatted radio stations. "Chariot Song" returns King's X with an upbeat hard-rock sound with a somewhat punk mix, yet it definitely fits the alternative format. "Ooh Song" is another cool alternative rocker -- definitely alternative rock at its best.
"Not Just For The Dead" has a much more pop feel. (This sounds crazy, but somehow Bon Jovi pops in my mind for some strange reason when I hear this song...figure that one out... Bon Jovi compared to King's X? No way!)
Given enough airplay exposure, "What I Know About Love" could easily be another alternative rock anthem -- this one is worth checking out... And another "worth checking out" cool alternative rocker is "Black Flag."
"Dream In My Life" slows the tempo a bit, yet it's another cool song that fits the alternative ballad style. The album's closing song, "Silent Wind" is a great way to end the album, with its common alternative rock sound. And towards the end of this song, it has a cool effect -- a church organ. What a great effect to use for alternative rock/hard rock, where that instrument is not commonly heard of.!
If you're a big fan of alternative rock, King's X is definitely worth checking out. Being a three-man band, they follow in the footsteps of the "power trios" : Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience and Thin Lizzy (as well as being a bi-racial band, like the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Thin Lizzy.) Their music is definitely alternative, and this band does know to rock in that particular style. It has heavy guitars, their lyrics and vocal styles are incredible, and even though many of their original albums may be hard to find on CD, they can definitely be found at used record stores. (Now why would anyone want to sell King's X CDs to used record stores, is beyond me...)
But again, King's X is definitely worth the listen. For the alternative rock lover, this album is a must, even though, according to other critics' reviews, this 1992 release was a disappointment. But for those who experience King's X for the first time, or even for the long-time King's X fan, the word "disappointment" is NOT in King's X vocabulary.