Rough Edge: Kingdom Come CD Reviews

KINGDOM COME

"Rendered Waters" (SPV; 2011)

Reviewed by Mike SOS

Comprised of seven re-recorded versions of older material and three brand new tracks, "Rendered Waters" is the latest album by 80s metal outfit Kingdom Come, best known as the most blatant of all of the era’s Led Zeppelin imitators.

The dependable vocal chops of chief member Lenny Wolf leads this incarnation of the band through both the latest versions of songs from the first few albums (chosen by the Wolf and fans) and the new cuts with his powerful bluesy warble shining bright while a modern production value considerably beefs up the older songs to fit what today’s hard rock requires.

The new material here shows a bit of a departure for the band as well, with “Neon Trees” taking a majestic power metal stroke and “Don’t Remember” putting a Scorpions-esque ballad spin on things. Yet some things never change, and this disc finds Kingdom Come continuously chasing the Led Zeppelin grail as ardently as before, resorting back to recycling old tricks with a fresh coat of paint.

For more information, check out http://www.lennywolf.com/ or http://www.myspace.com/lennywolf.

"In Your Face" (Polydor; 1989)

Reviewed by Jeff Rogers

This was Kingdom Come's second disc. Although they had only one hit with "Get It On" from their first self-titled disc, they still continue with the same lead singer, Lenny Wolf, and have solidified as an all German band after a few line up changes. This disc is more of the same, often called "Kingdom Clone" because they sounded so much like Led Zeppelin.

There are some rumors about this disc being obscene too, i.e., the name of the band is Kingdom Come and the title is "In Your Face." I'll let you decide. Some juvenile humor still works. I like the sound these guys have and, sure, they do sound like Zep but who cares? The music is good and the guitar rips on a lot of the tracks. It's not like they are dismissing the fact they sound like Zep; instead, they embrace it. Lenny Wolf can scream his head off and sound like Robert Plant at times but he can also sound like Joe Elliot from Def Leppard, too.

I'm sure a lot of people were captured by their first and only single to hit American airwaves and after that they got pushed aside by more marketable mainstream bands. Although they sound like Led Zeppelin, their lyrics are not the same. Kingdom Come pen some really good songs. I keep this one fresh and play it every now and then because it's that good. No hits were taken from this offering but this blues rocker does have its place in my music library.

The best songs: "Do You Like It," "Perfect O," "Mean Dirty Joe," and "Stargazer."

Kingdom Come: Lenny Wolf – lead vocals; Danny Stag – lead guitar; Rick Steier – rhythm guitar; Johnny B. Frank – bass; James Kottak – drums.

For more information, check out http://www.lennywolf.com/ or http://www.myspace.com/lennywolf.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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