The members of King’s X have been through a few changes-both professionally and personally-in the last two years.
On the professional front the Houston-based group, which plays Sunday at Park West, has released “Dogman,” the hard rock trio’s first album without manager/producer/svengali Sam Taylor. On a personal level, bassist/lead vocalist Doug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor and drummer Jerry Gaskill have battled various personal demons of late as evidenced by much of the new album’s lyrics.
Since the release of their first album in 1988, King’s X has carved out a reputation as the thinking person’s hard rock/metal band. Their literate, thoughtful subject matter and tight three-part harmonies (that can only be described as Beatle-esque) are married to some of the crunchiest riffs in the genre today. Since their critically acclaimed 1989 album “Gretchen Goes to Nebraska,” the band has been on the fast track, selling a respectable 250,000 copies per album.
There’s one other thing that separates King’s X from the rest of the pack: All three members are committed Christians. The band, however, bristles at the label “Christian rock band.” Instead they prefer to be thought of as a band whose members just happen to be Christians.
“The media has ruined us in that aspect,” said Joliet-native Pinnick. “Because they couldn’t categorize our music they decided to emphasize that one aspect and try to turn us into (evangelical rockers) Stryper. We are not a `God Band.’ People put us up on a pedestal where we’re expected to be nice guys all the time, and then people act shocked if they see you with a beer in your hand at a death metal concert. I mean, what is a Christian? I don’t even know these days. I’m just trying to do the best I can.”
Pinnick, who along with Tabor writes the majority of the band’s material, says the darker lyrics on “Dogman” reflect a personal crisis he was going through. He also hopes that the album will help dispel the “goody two-shoes” image that has been foisted on them.
“It seems like King’s X has always been perceived as this `nice guy’ band who only sing positive lyrics,” he said. “But we all have a darker side and have questions and are confused about things. The songs on this album really reflect who we are.”
The suicide of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, which has already resulted in at least one copy-cat suicide by a despondent fan, troubles Pinnick, who says he has battled depression himself. He also realizes that, like it or not, the members of King’s X are role models to their fans.
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“We don’t necessarily want to be role models,” he said. “But that’s just part of the package when you’re in the music business. But it’s hard. I understand a lot of Kurt’s problems and I find that I have a lot of those same problems. I tried suicide once. I didn’t really want to die, I just did it for the attention. I just wish I could have had a chance to meet Kurt and tell him, `Hey, dude, I’m older than you and I’ve been through a lot of this stuff and I’ve survived it.’ Maybe it would have made a difference.”
Role models or not, Pinnick says King’s X’s sole agenda is to touch people with their music.
“It’s been said that music is spiritual,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what that means, but I know there is something about music that touches you where nothing else can. To try to capture that in your music is the challenge.”
Other concerts of note
The Connells and Rollover, Friday at the Vic: For years the Connells have been churning out exquisitely melodic pop albums to no huge degree of commercial success outside of the “college rock” microcosm. They’ve stuck to their guns, though, and the North Carolina band’s current “Ring” album adds some emotional depth to the beguiling, endless hooks.
Ozric Tentacles, Saturday at Metro: Britain’s all-instrumental Ozric Tentacles are the ultimate “Just Say Yes” band. Their trippy music is admittedly inspired by certain, er, mind-expanding substances, and they have a predilection for long, rambling guitar-oriented jams that are cushioned by spacey synthesizers. If you like early Pink Floyd-or more precisely, pre-inflatable giant pig-era Pink Floyd-you’ll like this band that comes complete with psychedelic light show.
Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Saturday at Schubas: Sisters Janis Gill and Kristine Arnold have been singing together for 30 years, creating the tight harmony sound behind such country hits as “Midnight Girl in a Sunset Town” and “Chains of Gold.” After several years off the charts the duo have returned with a rootsier acoustic bluegrass-influenced sound that may be less commercial, but is perhaps more compelling. By the way, Janis is married to superstar Vince Gill.
Stanley Jordan, Sunday at the Cubby Bear: If jazz guitar tyro Stanley Jordan is guilty of anything, it’s that his choice of material isn’t always up to his awesome, unconventional chops. Jordan is a one-man orchestra, using both hands to tap out melody and accompaniment simultaneously, though his pop-jazz material veers close to hip elevator music at times. On his new “Bolero” album he does a gorgeous solo version of “Always and Forever.” Then again, he also does a rambling 22-minute rendition of Ravel’s “Bolero” that is at least 18 minutes too long.
Shootyz Groove, Greta and Varga, Sunday at the Thirsty Whale in River Grove: New York’s multicultural Shootyz Groove play an invigorating mixture of heavy metal and hip hop that ought to blow the roof off this Chicago-area metal mecca. Also appearing are the groups Varga and Greta, the latter impressive for a musically diverse approach that never sacrifices a good groove.
The Melvins, Monday at Metro: One could make a pretty good case that-for better or worse-the Melvins started the Seattle grunge rock sound way back in the mid-’80s. Call them, if you will, Ur-grunge. While the group later relocated to the Bay Area, they were highly influential on such later platinum-selling Seattle bands as Nirvana and Soundgarden. Fame may have eluded the Melvins, but their sinister, gloom ‘n’ doom sound remains intact as evidenced by their recent “Houdini” album, produced in part by the late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. Opening is the legendary Washington, D.C., near-metal band the Obsessed.
Lowest of the Low, Wednesday at Thurston’s: Canada has become a major player in alternative rock, and one of the genre’s burgeoning new stars is Toronto’s Lowest of the Low. The band’s music is a user-friendly mixture of alternative-style lyrical angst and solid musical chops. Also appearing are fellow Canadians Sour Landslide.
Greg Ginn, Thursday at Avalon: Greg Ginn’s guitar added immeasurably to the noise quotient of punkers Black Flag in the ’80s. These days Ginn has a dual career as both a solo artist and as president of SST Records. Last summer’s “Payday” on an SST subsidiary was his first album in seven years, one he followed up on only four months later with another release, “Dick.” Then again, who at SST is going to tell him he can’t?