4 May 2026 - Passenger (Kingdom Of Giants)

 

 

Release Date: 16 October 2020

Song Count: 12

Duration: 46 minutes, 24 seconds

Rating: 9.6/10

Description: 

 

As we have been running dry of personal recommendations for a little while now, this comes as a welcome appearance. Kingdom of Giants is a Californian metalcore band forming out of former members of a load of other bands in 2010, since continually making harsh, angst-containing metal music meant as authentic captures of artistic messages. Garnering a reputation as a band with a lot to offer and yet still a lot to prove in the public eye, they have released lots of songs over the years, including four full-length packages, including Passenger. This is their newest album released from five and a half years ago as of writing, and having now borne witness to its full contents, all I can say is to strap in, as there is much to digest.

 

Slotting itself into a contemporary metalcore sound with clear-sounding metal instruments - as clear as they can sound with their distortion, anyway -, breakdowns in the song structure and vocals alternating between unrelenting brutalism and distinct melodicism, Passenger has a sound that makes full use of its genre's features and sprints forward with them. From the subtle electronics mixed in and effects used in certain moments of voice deliveries to the seamless synergy between the lighter and heavier elements present within the music, there is never a moment within the experience of the album playing out where the listener is not fully captivated by the ongoings. The admissions of insecurities present within the lyrics delivered in varying ways add an additional layer of complexity to dive into.

 

One small moment that really caught my attention was the immaculate transition between the gradual, tense build-up that makes up the track "00397", before the gratification of a powerful breakdown simultaneously opens "Burner" in one big strike. Matching sounds across tracks that lead into one another has always been a detail to appreciate whenever it appears in a record or collection of songs of any kind, and this strongly effective one found here is certainly no exception. Things like these are what elevate albums with already strong musical contents into a new level with their display of attention to detail and full-length experiences.

 

Going into this, being appreciative of the metalcore style though not outright attached to it like with other subgenres of metal, I had a hard time expecting what was to come - what came out of it, however, were possibly some of the best 46 minutes of hardcore music there is out there, especially in its particular niche. Passenger is simply a grand display of talent and prowess from a band that really deserves more appreciation for the amounts of it they possess, and will most definitely be an experience worth its time to those wanting something that barges in hard and impresses harder. Such a well-executed effort of self-expression in the metal corners of this medium is generally rare to find, but this truly stands out as a gem amongst its fellow works and is more than worthy of gaining recognition as such.