Prophecy 1992 / No Dust 2023
Kingdoms
Forgotten rifferamas from a collective lost in metal wilderness.
Look up this band’s name and the title of their sole so-called album – which, in fact, was a set of demos originally issued on cassette in 1992 and is now fleshed out with those from 1989 – and you’ll end up with a lot of Biblical references. Indeed, PROPHECY did profess Christian rock’s values – only to array the Arizonan collective with such Californian glamsters as STRYPER would be wrong, as the Tucson ensemble seemed to drive a harder bargain by adding prog passages where the Los Angelenos went for a catchy riff. And though today the unsigned Westerners may be seen as a precursors to Scott Jeffers‘ TRAVELER, it’s not the case, and the transformation of the metal outfit’s frontman into a violin-wielding folk singer didn’t happen overnight. Yet there’s more to “Kingdoms” than one could think.
Perhaps, the peak of grunge wasn’t the best period for unveiling epic tapestries like “The Cross” or “Unjustly Crucified” that stress the main course the collective pursued, but it’s impossible not to be impressed by the heavy grandeur of “Intro / Midnight” where ivories vie for space with guitars in an almost symphonic way before vocals strike to offer an AOR-aromatic chorus, and the title track’s plodding stomp reveals a powerful hymn – hung on Dave Koster’s bass and Marco Zavala’s drums until acoustic lace and electric riffs render the drift triumphantly theatrical. While Manny Rojas’ organ and Joe Roman’s six-string solos on “Two Worlds Collide” and “Everything” extend the ensemble’s dynamics to celestial heights and stygian depths, and add a pinch of righteous swagger to the blend, this infectious mélange of melodic hard rock and traditional motifs is rather unique, making the allure of “Love Can Find A Way” quite irresistible, and the ballad-to-romp pairing of “I Need You Tonight” and “You Need Me” feels ingenious.
However, “Holy Light” and a few other cuts sound too raw not only in terms of sonic quality but also from the arrangement POV – as opposed to a fully fledged “New Horizon” whose flight is fantastically good. Why didn’t pieces like this bring the band a record deal remains a mystery, yet having the demos out is a blessed thing.
***3/4
