For fans of: Clutch, Mastodon, Black Stone Cherry and Metallica
Originally formed in 2018 by rhythm guitarist Pete Rose, South Wales powerhouse five-piece King Kraken have made enormous strides in a short time. The band comprise hardened veterans who have served their dues over the past two decades in the South Wales hard rock and metal circuit.
King Kraken was first unleashed on an unsuspecting crowd during a thrilling run to the final of the South Wales Metal to the Masses competition in early 2019, where they rightfully earned huge plaudits for their heavy yet melodic riff-based style and confident approach. A four-track self-titled EP arrived to coincide with this heady run and contained the first recordings of tracks such as The Grey, Freak, Heatwave and the dark Under the Sun, all of which quickly became firm fan favourites. Inspired by their success in reaching the final, the Kraken continued to gig nationwide, their tentacles spreading throughout the land and culminating in an appearance at an HRH event in Sheffield.
2020 promised to be the Year of the Kraken and started with an explosive demonstration of their power with a stunning show at the Hard Rock Hell Metal event at the Birmingham O2 Academy where the band performed on the second stage to a rammed room, earning lots of new friends with a performance of such assured quality that many present didn’t believe that King Kraken were still in their infancy.
The following day the band moved into the studio to record their Chaos Engine EP with the legendary producer Romesh Dodangoda (Motörhead, Bullet for My Valentine, Bring Me the Horizon). The result was impressive, with Dodangoda working his magic. The thunderous opener of the title track, reworkings of Freak and The Grey and the grunge-soaked Castle of Bone demonstrated the band’s progress and showcased their versatility.
There’s everything from crushing heavy metal to more measured, blues-influenced hard rock, all served with an originality that is both old school and refreshingly contemporary.
Of course, the world then turned upside down, but King Kraken took time to regroup, and continued to scheme, preparing for their second assault on the UK hard rock scene. When the opportunity finally presented itself, the band returned to the road, travelling further and wider than ever before and earning even more fans in the process.
2022 has seen King Kraken delivering the goods in spades. A return trip to Hammerfest 13 at the O2 Academy in February saw the quintet deliver a main stage set that stole the day, and this has been followed by a debut appearance at Smoke on Trent, and a trip to HRH event in Ibiza in early Spring. Alongside this the band have continued to gig locally and nationally, with the Kraken army continuing to spread with every show.
And now we come to most exciting time for the band as we speed through the boiling waters towards the release of the long-awaited debut album ‘MCLXXX’, which is due to be unleashed in late January 2023. Before that, the Green Machine are dropping tasty morsels to keep the fanbase chomping at the bit with a series of singles starting with ‘Haddonfield 78’ on October 31st.
Even Covid wouldn’t dare to stop the Kraken again. It’s time for the King Kraken to rise and take its rightful place on the throne. Hail the Kraken!
King Kraken comprise the gravel-throated roar of the prowling bear Mark Donoghue, the thunderous timekeeping of Richard Lee Mears who locks in tight with bassist Karl Meyers and rhythm guitarist Pete Rose to provide the platform for virtuoso guitarist Adam Healey to spill forth his stellar lead breaks.
Musical influences: Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie, Mastodon, Clutch, Down, Black Stone Cherry, Jimi Hendrix, Metallica, Slayer, Spooky Tooth, Rainbow, Pantera.
Social media:
www.kingkraken.co.uk www.facebook.com/kingkrakenuk Www.twitter.com/kingkrakenuk www.instagram.com/kingkrakenuk https://linktr.ee/kingkraken www.Kingkraken.bigcartel.com
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