KING COMPANY – Queen Of Hearts [Japanese Edition +1] (2018)

Finnish hard rockers KING COMPANY are back with album number two on Frontiers Music next month. The record, titled “Queen Of Hearts” got its Japanese edition released tomorrow, with a bonus track. Formed in 2014, King Company comprises experienced musicians from the Scandinavian scene, most of them coming from metal-based bands. However, their musical style here is elaborated classic hard rock with melody.
The band already impressed with their debut, and this second effort not only showcases a step forward but also some interesting changes.

After the release of King Company debut in August 2016, the band toured their home territory in 2017, but vocalist Pasi Rantanen wound up having severe vocal cord problems and eventually could not sing at all. With a tour of Spain already booked, a high pressure search for a replacement singer resulted in the band finding the perfect candidate on… YouTube.
Italian-Argentinian Leonard F. Guillan accepted the job and, proving to be a great live performer, ended up joining the band as their permanent lead vocalist.

Alongside the refreshing vocals of Guillan, King Company shows a relevant musical progression on this album in the songwriting and arrangements. Also, they have grown up a lot as a band, which means a more tight assemble and strong musicianship.

“Queen Of Hearts” is a classic hard rocker to open the album, driven by a pumping bass line, swirling guitar licks and a catchy chorus. Guillan’s voice in the classy mold, and we can hear a guitar / keyboard duel in the middle.
“One Day Of Your Life” is more modern, but production and sonic approach – as on the entire album – is classic ’80/90s inspired. On this track the chorus is epic, very Scandinavian.

It’s time for a melodic rocker, and ‘Stars’ has all the ingredients of the genre, even some AORish verses and keys into the mix. A winner and a personal favorite.
The stratospheric hard rock riffs are back with the killer ‘Living In A Hurricane’ (love the way the keyboards support the chorus), then ‘Never Say Goodbye’ is a midtempo ballad ready for lighters in the air.

More effective stuff comes with the punchy ‘Learn To Fly’, the groovy ‘Berlin’, and another dash of melodic rock / AOR with the very ’80s ‘King For Tonight’.
The Japanese bonus track is an acoustic version of ‘Never Say Goodbye’, an example that the band is not afraid of the use of prominent keyboards / pianos, as heard here and on the entire CD.

Catchy and solid Melodic Hard Rock are the best words to describe King Company’s second effort “Queen Of Hearts”, but more elaborated than your regular album of the genre.
While these ‘elaborated arrangements’, at places, conspire against the ‘instant catchiness’, I really like the way the songs develop into something different from what we usually hear.
A very good new disc from these guys from Finland, rock-solid and melodious with a ‘plus’.
Highly Recommended

01 – Queen Of Hearts
02 – One Day Of Your Life
03 – Stars
04 – Living In A Hurricane
05 – Under The Spell
06 – Never Say Goodbye
07 – Learn To Fly
08 – Berlin
09 – King For Tonight
10 – Living The Dream
11 – Arrival
12 – Never Say Goodbye [Acoustic] (Japan Bonus Track)

Leonard F. Guillan – vocals
Antti “Eversti” Wirman – guitars
Jari Pailamo – keyboards
Time Schleifer – bass
Mirka “Leka” Rantanen – drums

PRE ORDER
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/KICP-1929
.