King Of The North’s debut effort Sound The Underground was one of the most exciting rock releases of the past decade. Explosive, riff-driven and raw, Andrew Higgs and Danny Leo created a sound so colossal that it was nigh impossible to believe that it was coming from just two musicians. Recorded live in its entirety, Get Out Of Your World preserves all the raw garage charm and relentless energy of its predecessor. However, it’s less of an all-out assault and more of an eclectic and gripping rock adventure.
What is immediately noticeable when listening through Get Out of Your World is the broad spectrum of influence the album projects. From the spellbinding desert rock vibes of opener ‘Rise’, through to the riff-packed instrumental ‘No Stone Left Unturned’, each track seems to have a distinctly different feel and pack a unique set of surprises. The raucous bluesy vocals of Higgs also carry versatility, often lending themselves to a Kyuss flavouring (see ‘Down To The Devil’), whilst other times carrying Zeppelin vibes on tracks such as ‘Hard Days Are Done’.
Key tracks include two fantastic collaborations. With lead single ‘Burn’, Higgs invites Cog’s Lucius Borich to the drum stool and the pair create jagged beer-raising jams, building throughout to culminate in a series of machine gun riffs. On ‘The Mountain’, mammoth stoner grooves make way for an enthralling spoken-word verse by John Scott from The Mark Of Cain. Title track ‘Get Out Of Your World’ is another highlight, containing an ethereal interlude and lyrically serving as a rallying cry against hatred and bigotry. A cover of Jimmy Hendrix’s ‘Manic Depression’ closes out the album in true King Of The North class with an extended high-octane jam of the original.
The drumming is predictably on-point throughout, bittersweet considering the recent departure of Danny Leo following the album’s completion. However, with new drummer Steve Tyssen in tow, it’s going to be exciting to see how King Of The North’s sound progresses moving forward.
As a whole, Get Out Of Your World manages to build heavily on its predecessor, polishing the overall sound whilst greatly pushing the boundaries of what the duo have delivered in the past. Impressively, despite its many elements, the album doesn’t fall into the trap of becoming musical alphabet soup, blending cohesively to deliver a solid and enjoyable listen from start to finish. Simply put, Melbourne’s King Of The North have again delivered the goods with one of the strongest rock releases of the year.
Get Out Of Your World is out August 5 on Dirty Rock Records.
