The steady stride towards April’s release of March Of The Gods continues with Hero, the latest single from King Kraken. It is a bit of a departure from their usual size ten mudhole stomping groove, but for those of us who like a bit of subtlety stirred into the mix, Hero is exactly what is required.
We have had two thumpers already, in the shape of Chainsaw Saviour and Bezerker, and I promise, there are more riff-heavy beasties coming soon. Slowing things down is good though, and Hero provides the opportunity for King Kraken to show that they have other components in the arsenal.
A slow, bluesy number, Hero hits right in the feels. Singer Mark Donaghue provides an album best performance here, allowed space to deliver a slightly mellower style. Exhibit number one in the evidence collection that this band can do something different.
Donaghue adds real emotion and feel in the lyrics, which he describes as capturing “a snapshot in time that repeats itself every time a memory of my father is triggered.” He gives it everything, increasing in volume as the song develops.
Alongside the vocal performance, it is the smouldering engine room of the band that holds things neatly together. Drummer Richard Lee Mears is probably more comfortable going hammer and tongs at his kit, but his gentler, measured approach locks with Karl Meyer’s meandering bass lines to provide a solid foundation here.
This provides the platform for another virtuoso guitar workout by Adam Healy, whose love of the blues legends is evident here as he provides sublime solo bursts that scream out above the song, without ever causing a conflict within the rest of the song. It is this combined delivery, with the ever-dependable rhythm guitar work of Pete Rose, that makes this song such a fine choice for the latest single.
Only the fade-out disappoints, and that’s more personal preference than real criticism.
After the dramatic videos that the band have used on Chainsaw Saviour and Berzerker, something a little more sedate accompanies the band’s visuals for Hero. I think they have missed a couple of tricks, such as the whole band being suited, and some more poignant filming, but that again is just my opinion.
Emotionally, Hero may strike a chord with many. “I knew I wanted to write something deeply emotional while at the same time not going overboard,” Donaghue told us. “I wanted to convey a message that was both raw and easy to understand. I took time away from writing my usual cryptic meanings.
“The lyrics are quite literal for Hero. There’s a line that mentions, ‘And I’m not the only one’. This directly refers to my brother, as I wasn’t the only one who felt the loss as a son. While this song is directly about the loss of a parent, I believe that people can find their own meaning within the song.
“I wanted to convey the power and emotion that illustrates the loss in a personal way hence opening the chorus with ‘I am my father’s son’. It certainly was a tough one to sing and still catches me off guard sometimes.”
It may be a departure from the band’s more groove robustness, but it should hold them in great stead for the final single, due later in March. As March Of The Gods draws closer, King Kraken are slowing turning up the heat. By April, it will be a raging inferno.
