KING KRAKEN – March of the Gods

RELEASE YEAR: 2025
BAND URL: https://www.kingkraken.co.uk/

The hard-hitting Welsh metal outfit known as King Kraken impressed me greatly with their pounding and groovy debut album titled MCLXXX back in 2023, and a few weeks ago they unleashed a brand-new maelstrom of heaviness named March of the Gods, which sees the quintet conjure up ten catchy and concise tracks that serve as a continuation of the tone and style of its predecessor.

MCLXXX sounded as if it was spawned by a fully formed and utterly confident band, and their latest offering evokes the same atmosphere and is as sharp and gritty as one could have hoped for. Its abundance of swagger and attitude is irresistible and there is a marvelous sense of bombast to the thunderous material without compromising on actual substance and emotional impact. The riffs are meaty and akin to a sledgehammer, the rhythm section is well-oiled and earth-shattering, the arrangements are interesting, and there is no shortage of memorable qualities on display throughout.

While just as entertaining as its predecessor, March of the Gods arguably sounds slightly fiercer and more determined and cohesive than the former, but both of them ought to find their way to your record collection as they are excellent musical companions. Actually, I firmly believe that the album artwork sums up the power, robustness, and vibe of this 2025 effort of theirs perfectly, and if you are a stoner rock/doom metal/groove metal geek then King Kraken is just the band for you. I could name drop acts such as Corrosion of Conformity, Down, Black Sabbath, early Soundgarden with added balls, Alice in Chains at their heaviest, and Clutch to list a few examples, but just do me a favor and lose yourself in King Kraken’s swampy universe without giving much thought to anything or anyone else. You can thank me later.