Kingdom of Sorrow

Kingdom Of Sorrow is the brainchild of Hatebreed's hardcore hero Jamey Jasta and Down/Crowbar guitarist Kirk Windstein. Now, slow your roll before you go writing this band off and erroneously thinking that Kingdom Of Sorrow is a miscast combo of tough guy hardcore with posi lyrics yelled over crusty, sludgy riffs! Kingdom Of Sorrow mounts its metallic assault through leaden, barge-like guitar work that one would expect from Windstein. He doesn't disappoint, popping off rounds of dirty riffs in the NOLA (tha's New Orleans, LA, for the uninitiated) style that he is known for playing. However, it's Jasta who truly shines, boldly exploring previously uncharted vocal territory.

The vocalist, known for his signature hardcore style of talking-singing, takes a real risk that pays off with excellent dividends, lowering his register, taking a step back, and reaching inside his soul to yank out new emotions, new styles, and new throaty patterns. "Grieve" will crush you like a ton of bricks, while "Lead Into Demise" picks up the pace a little, taking a wee bit of influence from Jasta's primary bands before slipping back in homo erectus, barely bipedal riffage. "Demon Eyes" cuts a groove so deep that it reaches bone. On paper, the pedigrees of KoS's main members might seem like two great tastes that don't quite taste great together, but the execution here blows that hypothesis to hell and back.

—Amy Sciarretto
02.21.08

That Jamey Jasta is one busy gentleman. In addition to all his other projects (Hatebreed, running Stillborn Records, and up until recently, hosting Headbangers Ball, etc.) in 2008, he somehow found the time to unveil his latest musical venture, Kingdom of Sorrow, which turns out to be a collaboration with Crowbar/Down riffmeister Kirk Windstein. The group's self-titled debut is equal parts hardcore metal (the vocals) and sludge metal (the music), as evidenced by such pummeling, heavy-duty tracks as "Grieve a Lifetime," "Lead into Demise," and "Begging for the Truth." Consistently midtempo and burning with rage, Kingdom of Sorrow doesn't present very many musical surprises, but fans of Hatebreed, Crowbar, and Down should find it all very appealing. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide