Artist: Kingdom Come
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2006
Rating: 3/5
Even though he still hasn’t completely outgrown the influence of Robert Plant and LED ZEPPELIN, Lenny Wolf keeps stubbornly paddling his way through rock waters with KINGDOM COME, and the new record “AIN’T NO CRYING FOR THE MOON” is proof of that. The seeds of his Zeppelin devotion go all the way back to 1984, when he cut his teeth as a kid in STONE FURY and seems to have caught the Zep sound like a bug. I’ve always respected that he never let the countless accusations of ripping off Robert Plant (or rather, of being a straight-up clone) run him over. Somehow he managed to turn it to his advantage and carve out a unique, instantly recognizable style and sound. That doesn’t mean you can’t still feel that influence on his newer albums, but generally a lot less than in the past.
Broadly speaking, you could call KC a “one man band”, since Lenny is the one who, Prince- and Kravitz-style, plays all the instruments himself, writes the lyrics, and last but not least adds that unmistakable voice. Personally, I get the feeling that this is really the only way that suits him. Uncompromising, no question!
His second-to-last album, “Perpetual”, was a nice example of that, and in the end he sticks to that proverbial recipe on today’s record, “AIN’T NO CRYING FOR THE MOON”, too.
For a band that had its glory days with its 1988 debut, Lenny has really changed very little over the past decade and a half. His songs still carry a whiff of melodramatic gloom, and the themes he sings about are generally tinted with depression. All of it gets propped up even more by his “trademark” (R.J. Dio-style) depressive vocal delivery. A nice example of this is the album’s “Perfect Citizen”, which on top of that is, in my opinion, one of the best songs he’s done so far, period. The other tracks, “This Is My Life”, “Not Here To Be Your Friend” and “Look At You”, have a different vibe from what we’re used to from KC. Instead of typical self-contained rock songs, they’re mid-tempo groove numbers and generally easy listening. Heard-it-and-done, no extra brain strain required.
This time too Lenny didn’t let us down, and he made sure the album has a nice change of pace and the obligatory personal, sentimental part. I’d dare say there aren’t many people in the rock business who can sell a ballad as easily as Lenny. That’s just part of the legacy that has followed him since the STONE FURY days. One such song on the album is “Removed the Sting”, along with an excellent cover of the THE BEATLES song “Across the Universe”. The real bone gets thrown with the punchy AC/DC-style track “Bon Scott”, dedicated to the band’s first singer, who sadly died tragically. Lenny’s vocal chops (read: stretching the vocal cords) gave him no major trouble imitating Bon Scott. Even easier for him was playing Angus’s guitar riff. “One small step for Lenny, one giant leap for mankind”, and an even bigger one for the rock crowd, where AC/DC always set things on fire. Clearly the guy knows how to serve things up 😉
Ain’t No Crying for the Moon is a solid, sturdy rock record that shows us where the band has been so far and where it’s headed. My suggestion: put it on the shelf in your home audio collection.
Lineup
Lenny Wolf – vocals
Eric Foerster – lead guitar
Yenz Leonhart – rhythm guitar
George Maycock jr. – bass
Hendrik Thiesbrummel – drums & percussion
Tracklist
1. Two Legged Sheep
2. Not Here To Be Your Friend
3. Same Old Stars
4. Ain’t Crying For The Moon
5. Perfect Citizen
6. This Is My Life
7. Bon Scott
8. Removed The Sting
9. Friends In Spirit
10. Darkroom
11. Look At You
12. Across The Universe
13. Get It on (2006 Version)
