PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Contact by Alien Ken is released 26th January 2014. Who is Alien Ken? You may ask. Best know for his work with K(nine) and Moth Circus, Alien Ken now has a solo project with music described as Alien/Coffin rock! Claiming to be from Zeta Reticulli, Alien Ken has written produced and released the album Contact with, according to his Facebook page, help from unnamed musicians.
Not being familiar with Alien/Coffin rock I thought this might be an interesting one to review. I suppose I expected a cross between UFO and The Damned. ET Phone home! With the album comes Greetings from Alien Ken, and some simple steps to follow before listening! As I got sent the album electronically I didn’t get the original sheet of tinfoil but if one’s going to do a job, one has to do it to the best of one’s ability so, I improvised with a foil pie tray! At least it didn’t recommend laying in a coffin or flying off in a spaceship!
Luckily the lyrics are in English, not Klingon! The lyrics are written by (I believe) vocalist Ken Egeland. I found a medley of Alien Ken performing live on YouTube (link below) and Egeland reminds me a little, in looks and vocal style, of Rose Tattoo’s Angry Anderson! I was expecting something a bit weird and wonderful, maybe psychedelic to take me to another planet but it was mainly heavy rock/metal. Wrath of Noro reminded me of Rammstein say Ich Will meets Du Hast. Forthcoming single Cleanse My Claws was similar in sound to Sinnergod a Manchester Gothic Rock band I’ve recently reviewed.
Two Bad has a spoken word introduction so immediately I thought of Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast, Arthur Brown’s Fire and Tenacious D’s Tribute. Some good riffage in Two Bad and with the lyrics ‘I wanna know what an Angel can do to my demons’ it wasn’t Alien Ken’s only song referring to Angels, nor using the spoken word, as Glitter Rambo also contains a spoken narrative and contains the lyrics ‘I ended up with an Angel by my side’
With classic drumbeats and riffs throughout this album was better than I expected. The highlight track was Glitter Rambo. If you’re feeling adventurous make yourself a tin foil hat, with whatever piece of tin foil you can find, and give Alien Ken a listen! Will you enjoy it? I don’t know, but it’s an out of this world experience if nothing else!
Track Listing
1 – Content Is King
2 – Wrath Of Noro
3 – Fall at my Feet
4 – Cleanse My Claws
5 – Two Bad
6 – Glitter Rambo
7 – The Drifter
8 – Mirrored
9 – She
https://www.facebook.com/alienken
- £7.49
