Their debut single ‘Down’ signifies the highly anticipated launch of the Melbourne three-piece.
Melbourne hard rockers King’s Vengeance have made a bold entrance into the Aussie heavy scene this year with their steezy debut single ‘Down’, a reflection of the band’s love of heavy, energetic music.
Comprising three talented musicians, King’s Vengeance successfully blends the best of rock, blues and metal, surging influences from the ’60s through to the present day. Stirring a blissfully heavy melting pot of rock, the band sonically take nods likes of classics like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, to Seattle bands like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and even classic heavy metal bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motorhead and Metallica.
The result is a unique brand of rock, fusing a balanced amount of frenzied brutality and touching delicateness, driven by rough growls and soft clean vocals, surging guitars, spirited lyrics, and foot-thudding drums.
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Boasting their epic hard rock sound combined with production that stews it into something heavy yet palatable, their debut single ‘Down’ signifies the highly anticipated launch of their band, which started when brothers Dimitri and Chris Stathopoulos began jamming their favourite classic rock and heavy metal songs at the age of 13.
“The band has been something we’ve all been working towards for a long time,” King’s Vengeance explains.
“Having begun as just Dimitri and Chris, the biggest challenge was finding the right member to complete the band and round out the sound to finally get it off the ground.
“After meeting Ernesto [Calderon] through an online ad, we’ve now got around two and a half years of rehearsing, refining and solidifying our sound as a band and as a team.”
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Nearly three years later, with a chemistry and energy second to none, the trio has merged with a variety of diverse and complementing musical influences and styles with a dynamic that’s got the capacity to catapult them into the big time.
“The two of us [brother] grew up listening to a lot of the same bands and styles of music. As we both started playing music together from a young age, we’ve naturally developed a unique understanding of each other musically and creatively and have shared the same vision and goals for the band since day one,” the band explain of their synchronicity.
“Now Ernesto has joined the fold, he fits right in perfectly and adds another dimension musically.”
Like many other bands over the past 18 months, their launch into the musical stratosphere was put on hold several times due to the endless run of lockdowns and restrictions. Recorded midway through 2020, with mixing and mastering undertaken by Beau McKee, the four-and-a-half-minute debut single – packed with stupendous falsettos, memorable guitar shredding and an unbelievably contagious hook – circles themes of anxiety (or any aspects of mental health) and how they can affect, cloud and pull apart all your thoughts and emotions.
“It’s part personal experience, part observation but overall, it’s a message to the character in the song (or the listener) to not let those feelings consume them – to know that just because they might be feeling that way at a certain point in time, it doesn’t mean they will forever: Tomorrow is always a new day and a chance to grow.
“It’s also a message that these thoughts are perfectly normal, and instead of fighting them or trying to push them away (which more often than not makes them worse), just let them come and eventually they will pass. Sometimes our mind can be our own worst enemy!”
Capturing the essence of classic, hard rock, with loud drums, heavy guitars and soaring, melodic vocals – all crucial elements of a live performance – ‘Down’ arrives alongside an accompanying music video), a blistering visual representation of the band. Shot in an industrial setting by Ian Ritter, the film clip harnesses the honest and raw sound of their music while capturing the feel of a band performing live. And while all three members have local and interstate gigging experience with previous bands, performing live as a band isn’t something that King’s Vengeance has been able to indulge in thus far.
“We actually haven’t had the chance to perform live together yet, as King’s Vengeance! It’s something we’ve been working towards for a long time now and as with all other bands, the last year and a half has set those plans back.
“When we were planning and brainstorming ideas for our debut video, we wanted to go for a more organic approach where the focus is upon the band performing the song. We’ve always gravitated more towards the straight-ahead yet effective style of music videos which highlight the energy of a band in a live performance scenario.”
This song, in the most basic terms, is an unforgettable wild ride that is hard to dislike and that’s reaffirmed once you watch their rocking clip.
Serving as a timely reminder of the magic of a live performance, this is just a taste of King’s Vengeance, who are already gearing up to release their second single in November.
Titled ‘Enemies’, the track was completed during Melbourne extended lockdowns and follows in a similar direction to their debut – high energy, hard-hitting track and made to be performed live.
“Without giving too much away – expect a high-energy, adrenaline-fuelled hard rock song. It hits the listener with a fast, driving tempo from the very beginning and doesn’t let up from start to finish.
“Musically, it has a more straight-ahead feel and is a track we’re very proud of.”
Due out November 17, ‘Enemies’ is also lifted from the band’s forthcoming debut album alongside their debut track. Slated for release in 2022, it promises to be a textured, sonically rich record that explores all the extremes of rock music.
“The songs that make up the record follow a similar direction to the recent single, yet are all slightly different in their own way. For example, some of the songs are a little more on the progressive side than others. There are a couple of heavier and darker songs, another with a more bluesy and funk feel to it and one that leans slightly into ballad territory.”
If their simmering earworm of a debut is anything to go by, we’re in for a wild ride with future releases.
Check out King’s Vengeance debut single ‘Down’ here and keep up to date with the latest from the band via Facebook and Instagram.
