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Pinnick Gales Pridgen

By Clint Rhodes 2 min read
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A colossal collaboration between three impeccable musicians leads to a modern-day supergroup and one monster of an album.

Bassist and vocalist Doug Pinnick of KingĢƵ X, blues-rock guitar virtuoso Eric Gales and ex-Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen blend their expansive musical pedigrees on the trioĢƵ self-titled album featuring 13 captivating tracks infusing elements of rock, metal, blues and R&B flavoring. Being a huge KingĢƵ X fan since the 1990 release of “Faith Hope Love” with its melodic Beatlesque arrangements, I’ve been anxiously waiting for some new material fronted by Pinnick and his charismatic vocals.

The three music titans met and played together for the first time in the summer of 2012 with each artist bringing a bounty of musical influences to the sound and chemistry of the band. The album opener, “Collateral Damage,” strikes quickly with an ominous guitar riff supported by pounding drums and booming bass.

“Hang On, Big Brother” is the lead single, offering up touches of progressive soul and blues and featuring dueling vocals by Gales and Pinnick.

“Lascivious” is a bass-heavy scorcher that thunderously plods along, fueled by raw energy and PinnickĢƵ sprawling vocals.

The KingĢƵ X sound is clearly evident on several of the five tracks written by Pinnick, most notably “Wishing Well” and “Me and You.”

In my opinion, one of the standout tracks is a cover of “Sunshine of Your Love.”

The classic Cream arrangement is augmented with a darker and heavier feel, highlighted by PridgenĢƵ chaotic drumming and scorching guitar solo delivered by Gales.

Gales’ guitar playing on the new material can best be described as Jimi Hendrix meets Stevie Ray Vaughan and Living Colour.

The talents of the three musicians are unfettered by years of honing their craft, resulting in a collection of intricate, ear-splitting and heart-pounding songs filled with an unrelenting musical punch and lyrical vision, unquestionably making the bandĢƵ first effort one of the most electrifying albums of the year.

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