Here it is folks, the moment you’ve all been waiting for (at least you should’ve been). Today is the day that Kings Dead brings us the first album under their new moniker, Revenge Of The Beast. After steadily building a large following under the name The Dean’s List, the group faced a large amount of criticism and backlash when they decided to undergo their recent rebranding. While a full explanation can be found on their updated Facebook page, it’s through their music that you can truly witness this transformation take place. One of the most decisive events of the past year was when band member Sonny Shotz was unexpectedly assaulted in Spain, leaving him with a broken jaw that needed to be wired shut for twelve weeks. It’s the type of experience that could alter anyone’s perspective on life, and possibly the catalyst behind the shift in the group’s sonic identity.
Revenge Of The Beast signifies the group removing the shackles of expectations, and taking a step forward in an entirely new direction. However, fans of The Dean’s List needn’t fear as the group doesn’t completely shed the remnants of their old sound; they just take a natural progression forward. Lead singles “94” and “Over Dinner” for instance demonstrate a more elaborate and cinematic musicality to them, while tunes like “Simple Times” and “Proud Of Me” seem more in line with what we’ve previously heard. Another admirable quality about Kings Dead is that they tackle their controversy head on in the intro track, “Beauty & The Beast,” where they highlight many of the questions they’ve faced over the past few months. The most appropriate summation of their evolution may come from the band themselves who state,“We haven’t changed, only grown.” The truth of the matter is The Dean’s List has graduated, and we couldn’t be prouder of who they’ve become.
Check out a few of our favorites from the album below, and support the group by either downloading the mixtape for free, or purchasing a copy through iTunes. You can also catch a full stream of the project on their official SoundCloud page.
DOWNLOAD: Kings Dead – Revenge Of The Beast
