King Kraken – March of the Gods
Release Date: 18th April 2025
Label: Self-released
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Genre: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal.
FFO: Clutch, Black Stone Cherry, Black Label Society.
Review By: Paul Franklin
Welsh hard rock titans King Kraken wrap their tentacles around you, squeeze hard, and (apart from a brief reprieve midway through) never ease up until the final notes of Under The Sun. All the time battering you with riffs heavy enough to reduce the sturdiest of galleons to matchwood, and unleashing solos like Thor casually tossing lightning bolts.
March of the Gods is the second release from Mark Donoghue (vocals), Adam Healey (guitars), Pete Rose (guitars), Karl Meyer (bass) and Richard Lee Mears (drums), following their 2023 debut MCLXXX, and like that album the ten songs on here may not be groundbreaking, but they are ground-shaking. The likes of opener Scream, the laser-eyed behemoth El Giganto and the living dead infused Chainsaw Survivor pummelling the pure rock fury of Clutch and Black Stone Cherry into one heavyweight mass and then smashing that mass straight into the side of a rain soaked Welsh mountain.
In Norse mythology, a Berserker was a warrior who worked themselves into a frenzy before battle, and then unleashed hell on the battlefield, fighting with abnormal fury and courage. So, if you can’t imagine what the eponymous track on here sounds like, then you really should have a long, hard look at yourself!
As previously mentioned, the juggernaut does slow slightly to allow Mark to pay tribute to his late father on the soulful and bluesy Hero. It’s a genuinely heartfelt track that gives a moment of reflection for us all before the next hefty sonic blow (Vigilante) connects with your chin.
To be honest, it could be argued that writing a lengthy review of March Of The Gods is a little redundant, all you need to do is look up the word ‘Thundering’ in a thesaurus, every result is bang on the money!
(4 / 5)
