Trying and turbulent times elicit strength. A series of tough trials and tribulations only made Kingsmen stronger. Since forming in 2016, the Providence, RI metal quartet—Tanner Guimond [vocals], Tim Lucier [guitar], Michael Perrotta [drums], and Adam Bakelman [bass]—forged an ironclad bond as musicians and friends. That unity emboldened and empowered their full-length debut for Sharptone, the aptly titled Revenge. Forgiveness. Recovery. 

 

Sealing hardcore intensity with metallic proficiency and melodic appeal, these ten tracks proudly bear scars only to offering healing.

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“Tim and I played shows alongside one another for years in separate bands,” says Tanner. “After both of our bands fell apart, we each took a hiatus from the scene. Our luck was eventually thrown down the gutter though. Tim’s daughter became sick with leukemia. I lost my great grandmother and found out my longtime girlfriend was cheating on me. When we first decided to do this, we put our noses to the grindstone and immediately wrote the album. Even though we love making music together, our bond is rooted much deeper than that. We put our hearts and souls in this. We’re offering vulnerability in what we do.” 

 

To record Revenge. Forgiveness. Recovery, they retreated to Nashville, TN where they worked with producer Mark Lewis [Trivium, Whitechapel, Cannibal Corpse]. Defying categorization, a singular style emerged at the forefront of the sessions. In the aftermath, they caught the attention of Sharptone who signed them in 2019. 

 

Now, the album cements their sound. One of the first tunes they wrote, “Nightmare,” sets the tone. Ominous growls resound over rattling percussion as airy guitar cries before a striking and soaring chant. Concluding on soft keys, the track evokes a universal vision.

 

“It’s about the never-ending struggle of living with that devil on our shoulders,” he goes on. “Everybody has one. He whispers in your ear daily. Sometimes, you give in to his influence. Sometimes, you don’t. The true nightmare is you can’t control what this devil says and the fact he’s always attempting to influence you.”

 

On “Outsider,” clean guitar rings out through a wall of distortion as double bass pummels towards another hypnotic hook, culminating on head-spinning and fleet-fingered soloing. 

 

“It’s easy to feel like an outsider when you’re surrounded by a bunch of bad influences,” he says. “Just because you feel that way, it doesn’t mean you’re a lost cause. In moments where we doubt ourselves and feel like the world wasn’t made for us, we grow and discover who we can really be.”

 

The opener “Until I’ve Departed” snaps into high-octane thrashing as it subsides on another magnetic melody. It assumes a different perspective by “placing the listener in the shoes of a corrupted person who holds power.”

 

Meanwhile, “World On Fire” fuels a conflagration of battering ram breakdowns and bludgeoning vocals. “It’s about letting go of the things weighing you down mentally, physically, and emotionally,” he explains. “Sometimes, we have to burn the past or light a fire to grow.”

 

Kingsmen have only just begun to grow on Revenge. Forgiveness. Recovery.

 

“When you listen to us, we want you to know there’s always hope,” he leaves off. “Our album was made during a dark period in our lives, we’re still here living, breathing, and loving life. We can only hope it helps and heals others through hard times. Kingsmen traditionally protect someone in power. To tie this to our meaning, we protect each other like a family. Through many trials and tribulations, we’ve always found the strength to persevere through our struggles together by making music.”