Enroll Crimson Glory in Vacation Bible School, and you get Sacred Warrior. Releasing a string of high-quality, God-honoring prog-power from ’88 to ’91, Sacred Warrior shredded and wailed in seriously glorious fashion on underground hits like Wicked Generation and Master’s Command1, led by the guitar heroics of band leader Jonathan Johnson. But as dust returns to dust, the band burned out quickly, releasing one record in 2013 and, most recently, a single in 2019. However, these dry bones are back up and kicking. Sacred Warrior alumni Johnson, vocalist Erik Schilling, bassist Steve Watkins, and newcomer drummer Michael Feighan (Whitecross) have regrouped under the name Glory of Kings, brandishing their debut album Roots of the Past. Claiming to explore “history, identity, and the enduring influence of the past on the present,” can Glory of Kings reclaim the past glories of Sacred Warrior?
Roots of the Past reaches deep into classic prog metal, offering a solid grounding for Glory of Kings’ debut. Fans of the classic Sacred Warrior sound should find GoK a worthy successor, though they’ve toned down their idolatry of Crimson Glory in favor of a wider array of genre/era touchstones. Roots of the Past boasts a dramatic, yet muscle-bound approach to riffcraft akin to Savatage (“Fairy Tales”), while vocally these Kings took notes from Queensrÿche’s usual operations. It’s not hard to hear Schilling’s crooning on “Mindwar” or the title track and picture a less-washed Geoff Tate there. These Roots draw from slightly fresher influences as well. The calm plucking and grooves of “The Mystery” recalls the softer sides of Symphony X and Pain of Salvation, while the harmonic riffage and layered vocals of “See You in Paradise” evoke Brave New World-era Iron Maiden. None of this is cutting edge, but Roots of the Past shows signs of life in Glory of Kings.2
Unfortunately, Roots of the Past is often a strained and low-energy exaltation. Though Johnson’s capacity for shredding remains untouched (“The Waiting Game,” “Foreshadows”), Roots’ lethargic and muddy compositions feel mechanical, especially in the back half. Songs like “Occam’s Razor” and “The Waiting Game” lack sharp hooks or compelling progressions, made worse by sluggish tempos. Roots’ pacing is also hamstrung by Glory of Kings’ insistence on interludes, interjecting bog-standard movie trailer scores (“Gathering Storm,” “Transcendence”) and “oriental” desert music (“Foreshadows”3) before they can string a couple good songs together and build some momentum. Worst of all, Schilling sounds strained and limited as a vocalist, his voice wavering on the longer phrases (“Mindwar”) and stretched on the higher ones (“The Waiting Game”). All this contributes to a feeling that Roots of the Past isn’t as catchy or exciting as it ought to be, and that Glory of Kings isn’t as potent here as they could be.
Now, the burning question: What kind of Christian metal is this? Is Glory of Kings preachy? Yes, very. Besides the title track, Roots of the Past doesn’t really broach history as much as topical, generic Evangelical talking points. Embracing the mystery of God (“The Mystery”), the promise of Heaven (“See You in Paradise”), the need for repentance now (“The Waiting Game”); Glory of Kings ain’t hiding it under a bush here. This isn’t inherently an issue. Bands like Theocracy and Wytch Hazel have achieved widespread acclaim and connection beyond the Christian world while remaining loud and proud in their faith.4 Where Glory of Kings’ lyrical bent becomes a problem is where they engage in tedious Us-vs-Them dynamics. “Mindwar” and “Fairy Tales” hint at it, but “Occam’s Razor” engages in whole-hog, Facebook-rant tirades against secular science as being willfully ignorant of their One Truth.5 If it wasn’t clear before, it’s obvious afterwards that Roots of the Past is more concerned with proselytizing than anything authentically artistic. I doubt its potential in speaking to anyone outside GoK’s worldview.6
There’s lots of prog-power worse than what Glory of Kings offer on Roots of the Past, but it’s hard to get excited about it whether you buy into Christianity or not. Sacred Warrior could get self-righteous and Bible-thumping too, but their music was vital and electrifying; Roots of the Past is not. Too much of it feels paint-by-the-numbers and tired to merit the sermonizing. If you’re dying for some new prog-power or for a new Sacred Warrior record, give it a listen, for sure. Glory of Kings can spin some metal miracles on occasion, but don’t expect a life-altering transformation from Roots of the Past. Or maybe do. “Mysterious Ways” and all that.
Rating: Mixed
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps MP3
Label: Roxx Records
Websites: facebook.com/GloryOfKingsBand | gloryofkingsband.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: August 14th, 20267
