Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Friends and loved ones sometimes have a way of sending you into exile, that you have no right to be where you are, that your opinion does not matter, that your dreams are nothing but dust caught in an updraft; it often takes those that you only hear over the wild speakers, those that find a way to install a state of kindness in even the bitterest wind and chained grievance, for those that offer Exile & Grace are to be saluted, for they are the ones that set you free.
King King are not the only ones to offer such feelings that occupy the mind, however they do it so well, they tempt and tease the mercy and inject that sense of Rock refinement that comes from the influence of bands such as Whitesnake and the majestic Thunder and turn it into positive energy, something which all four members of the band offer the listener a sense of sanctuary whilst in exile and decency when in grace.
The heavier sound is not one to ask questions, it simply does its job and relishes in the armour it has made for the listener to wear as they once more go into battle to reclaim their position in life, that of the faithful and dedicated fan, prepared to rightly lance the dragon of disbelievers and the cruelty of those who insist that Rock is dead.
King King have long proved that the genre is alive and well, that the big number, erudite, punchy and sympathetic to the woes of the heartfelt fan, is always going to welcome and given house room, that there is no exile from the beat but there is always a place and musical nourishment for the state of grace that comes with it.
Hand in hand the music flows with grace, with the smile of the genuine wrapped around each track. In songs such as Heed The Warning, the earthy feel of Find Your Way Home, Betrayed Me and the divine Nobody Knows Your Name, King King take all that they have and give it freely to the listener, the overwhelming confidence is enough to make the pulse quicken and it is one that is not steeped in arrogance, rather, a humility of passion.
Exile & Grace is sometimes deemed as the product of banishment. Of having been unfaithful to the cause, sometimes though it is because you were too strong and that others are concerned that you will side with the glory to come; for King King and their fourth studio album, grace is the true watchword, it is all done with style.
Ian D. Hall