There is a storm coming and his name is Duke Adkisson. Adkisson is the lead singer and guitarist as well being the man behind all of the music & lyrics on the new record. But don’t be mistaken as this is not a one-man show; Stormking comes complete with a load of great players. You have Bruce Whitcomb on bass & keyboards, Pat “Moneyshot” Mehan on drums/percussion, “Smitty” Michael Smith on guitars, Steve Munger on sax, Brent Pendleton on keys, Mark Brosz on blues-harp and Scotty McDivot on drums. The complete band sound is extremely powerful and quite pleasing to hear.
Right off the bat, the album starts up with Duke singing in a wildly interesting fashion where vocally he is all over the map. I can tell right away that this isn’t going to be any ordinary CD; this was going to be vastly different and original as they come. Man did I hit it right on the money because this project was in a league of its own! There isn’t one genre or style of music that can be tagged to Stormking; the group is a force of its own and a force to be reckoned with so it seems.
Throughout this 12-song set, I was hearing elements of rock, classic rock, alternative, jazz, blues and everything else in between! Duke & company offer a wide range/mix of musical tastes to choose from; all different shapes, sizes and colors. Hopefully there is something for everyone on this record because that was definitely Stormking’s mission, which is to appease and satisfy the masses. I couldn’t help but notice the awesome guitar playing throughout this entire album. With cool guitar licks on the first track, “Thnx”, to a stand-out performance on “Beguiled”, you can’t go wrong in this department. Moving along, you get that real rock sense on track four, “Bloodgroove”, that happen to be my favorite song on the album. Everything seemed to be working on this number with the whole band energy just on fire. I also enjoyed hearing the cool, groovin’ sounds of the saxophone on “Amazed By Love” and “Sup”. Just as Skope Magazine prides itself in providing the most diverse music coverage out there, Stormking brings that same philosophy to life.
I saw a lot of potential with this band and their new record however I wasn’t completely sold yet. With Duke’s unique vocal delivery, I feel it’s one of those acquired tastes that certain people will get and others not. I do get what Adkisson and his bandmates have done here but I would love to hear a follow-up record to see where Stormking takes it next! Musically, this album offers shining moments that any music lover would appreciate including myself. For more info on this eclectic group and their new release, SKOPE out www.bin666.com.
By Jimmy Rae (jrae@skopemag.com)
[Rating: 3/5]
