I must admit that I wasn't familiar with Kingdom Of Giants other than knowing their name until I received the promo for "Passenger". During the first spin of the album, I chose to not take any notes and immerse myself in the music instead. The main thing I noticed was the diverse elements that compose the record. At its base, there is a generic metalcore sound, with a sturdy rhythm section, djenty twists and the usual alternating vocal duality. It would be very easy for someone to dismiss "Passenger" as "just another metalcore record" without giving it a chance or overlooking all its interesting facets. Firstly, the songs are built with a very solid structure that seems to follow a certain norm (I consciously refrain from using the term "uniformal", as I feel it bears a negative connotation that wouldn't do the tracks justice), brilliantly balancing between heaviness and catchy melodies. The instrumentation is groovy with neckbreaking potential, all while maintaining gripping hooks. I particularly like how everything seems to effortlessly blend together; the drums create a concrete base for the other musicians to thrive, while the guitarwork feels disciplined, without any excess. My next point of focus would be the vocals. "Passenger" is the band's first work with new bassist Jonny Reeves, who also undertook singing duties. Contrary to popular practice, the clean vocals are not restricted to sappy choruses but are rightfully in the spotlight, at times leading the tone of the songs and giving the storytelling a more personal approach. Reeves has an amazing timbre and range, occasionally manipulating his high notes with distortion that never gets over the top, adding a very pleasant contrast to Dana Willax's screams. Finally, when it comes to the overtones, KOG appear influenced by various artists and sounds, some of which include the trailblazers of their scene like Architects (we most certainly can't ignore the opening riff of "Burner"), Northlane and Wage War, synthwave (which sits oddly well, might I add) and I think I can even detect some minor Deftones particles in there too. If we had to pick favorites, I'd definitely go with "Two Suns", "Night Shift", "Burner", "Wayfinder" which I feel best encapsulates "Passengers"' potential, and "Sleeper".
Overall, "Passenger" is a brilliant album in its genre and sticks out of an abundance of unimaginative clichés. Sure, Kingdom Of Giants doesn't reinvent the wheel, but they definitely create a new perspective in an oversaturated scene when it needs it the most.
8/10
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