PALACE OF THE KING – Valles Marineris

Six headed, blues and psych-infused Aussie hard rockers, Palace Of The King, channel the best parts of Led Zeppelin, Rival Sons, Graveyard and The Black Crowes, to name a few, on its sophomore release, Valles Marineris. Blessed with a blend of retro rock elements, funk, R&B, Motown and soul-infused grooves on its ten tracks, Palace Of The King work its magic throughout the album. The gospel-tinged opener, “Let The Blood Run Free,” possesses fuzzy, funkified Zeppelin riffs and gritty bass tones, while “Beyond The Valley” is decorated with bluesy riffs and a highly-charged chorus, which beckons a raucous sing-along. The whacka-whacka ’70s funk organ accents of “Black Cloud” is pulsating and infectious, which features the soulful croons of UK singer-songwriter Mahalia. 

Vocalist Tim Henwood sings his Aussie ass off throughout Valles Marineris. His skillful Robert Plant-isms mixes well with his vibrant Chris Robinson-like soaring wails. Every chorus is magically catchy, while the rhythmic thrust of each track is gloriously highlighted by Sean Johnston’s joyous keyboards and organ melodies. The album flows nicely all the way through to the final haunting piano fadeout of closer “Into The Black.” Palace Of The King may not be a household name on this continent, but they should be. Valles Marineris is an absolute winner!