King's X is an American rock band formed in Springfield, Missouri in 1979. They were first called the Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on their current name in 1985.[4] The band's current lineup has remained intact for more than four decades, consisting of vocalist and bassist Doug Pinnick, drummer Jerry Gaskill and guitarist Ty Tabor. Their music combines progressive metal, funk and soul with vocal arrangements influenced by gospel, blues, and British Invasion rock groups. Despite a largely underground reputation as the "musician's musicians", King's X was pivotal in the early development of progressive metal, and produced a series of early records considered essential within the genre.[5][6] The band's lyrics are largely based on the members' struggles with religion and self-acceptance. King's X was ranked No.83 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.[7]
King's X has released thirteen studio albums, two official live albums, and several independent releases. After signing to both Atlantic and Megaforce Records in 1987, they broke into the mainstream with their first six albums, including their only top 100 charting albums Faith Hope Love (1990) and Dogman (1994).[8] The band's most recent studio album, Three Sides of One, was released in 2022 on the InsideOut Music label. Since leaving Atlantic Records, following the release of Ear Candy in 1996, King's X has released albums through Metal Blade Records, InsideOut Music and independently, respectively. Each member of the group has recorded several solo albums and has made numerous guest appearances on other artists' albums, as well as participated in numerous compilation projects. Pinnick and Tabor also have many albums released with side bands in which they participate.[7]
The group traces its beginnings to 1979 in Springfield, Missouri, when bassist Doug Pinnick and drummer Jerry Gaskill were brought together to take part in a musical project coordinated by Greg X. Volz of the Christian rock band Petra. Within a month of Pinnick's arrival from Illinois, the project folded and he and Gaskill were left without a band. They soon landed a job as rhythm section for guitarist Phil Keaggy's live band. The two toured the country for several months in support of Keaggy's album Ph'lip Side. During the group's show in Springfield, Gaskill was approached by Ty Tabor who was a member of the opening band that night. The drummer for Tabor's band had quit the night before the show and Tabor had volunteered to take over on drums for the gig. However, seeing as he had no drums, he was forced to ask Gaskill if he could borrow his kit for the show. Gaskill obliged and the show went on.[17]
When the tour ended, Pinnick and Gaskill returned to Springfield and set about looking for more work. Gaskill landed a job doing demo work for the Tracy Zinn Band that happened to include Ty Tabor on guitar. The two became friends and were involved off and on together in different musical projects.
In early 1980, Pinnick attended a music show at Evangel College and watched a set by another of Tabor's bands. Pinnick was impressed with Tabor's skills and the two soon began collaborating musically.[18]
Eventually Gaskill, Pinnick, and Tabor decided to pool their talents into a single outlet. Calling themselves the Edge, they initially were a four-piece with the inclusion of Dan McCollam on rhythm guitar. McCollam quit after only a brief time and was replaced by Kirk Henderson, who was a friend of Tabor's from Jackson, Mississippi. The group performed extensively on the Springfield bar and club circuit specializing in classic rock and Top 40 covers at the time.
By 1983, Henderson had quit the band and Pinnick, Tabor, and Gaskill decided to continue on as a trio. They also decided to change the name of the band, and settled on calling themselves Sneak Preview.
The group had been writing and recording many original songs up to this point. They chose ten of these songs to record for an independently released self-titled album in 1983. After the album's release, the band continued to tour and hone their songwriting skills.
Move to Houston (1985–1987)
By 1985, the group had made connections at Star Song Records based in Houston, Texas and were encouraged to move the band there. The first order of business for the three was to become part of a touring band for CCM artist Morgan Cryar. Tabor and Pinnick are also credited for co-writing several songs on Cryar's second album Fuel on the Fire in 1986. Tabor also performed some guitar parts on the album and both he and Pinnick are credited with background vocals.
However, when it came to signing Sneak Preview to a recording contract with Star Song, negotiations broke down and the deal came to a halt.
Megaforce era (1988–1991)
The group released its debut album as King's X, Out of the Silent Planet, in 1988. Despite being hailed by music critics, the album did not fare well commercially, peaking at No.144 on the Billboard album charts. The songs "King" and "Shot of Love" were released as singles, but failed to garner much attention. The album derives its name from the C. S. Lewis novel Out of the Silent Planet. This appears to be the band's first of multiple references to the British author. King's X promoted Out of the Silent Planet with its first major tour, playing with the likes of Cheap Trick, Blue Öyster Cult, Robert Plant and Hurricane,[19][20] as well as Megaforce labelmates Anthrax, Testament, M.O.D., and Overkill.[21]
In 1989, the band released Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. Considered by many fans to be their landmark album and most creative period, the album fared only slightly better from a commercial standpoint than Out of the Silent Planet. The band played with a wide variety of acts while touring in support of it, including Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies, M.O.D., Living Colour, Billy Squier and Blue Murder.[21][22][23] The album contains many fan favorites such as "Summerland", "Mission", and "The Burning Down". The song "The Difference (In the Garden of St. Anne's-on-the-Hill)" appears to be another C.S. Lewis reference, this time to a scene in the book That Hideous Strength, third and final installment of the "science-fiction" trilogy begun by Out of the Silent Planet. The song "Pleiades" is credited by Ty Tabor as being the genesis of the King's X sound when he presented the demo to the other band members a few years earlier. Significantly, the song "Over My Head" received moderate airplay on MTV and radio.
The increase in exposure would prove beneficial when the band released their third album, Faith Hope Love, in late 1990. It was the group's first album to crack the U.S. Top 100, with the help of the successful single "It's Love". Another track, the funk-rock "We Were Born to Be Loved", enjoyed a long life on Late Show with David Letterman as a commercial bumper instrumental favorite of Paul Shaffer's CBS Orchestra. King's X was featured in the February 1991 issue of Rolling Stone (RS598).[24] Still, with major mainstream success continuously eluding them, King's X began questioning Sam Taylor's management vision for the group.
The band was moved up to Megaforce's parent label Atlantic Records for the release of their fourth album, King's X, in early 1992. However, rising tensions with Taylor led the band to eschew the upbeat approach of previous albums and turn out a darker, more introspective effort. Unfortunately, despite critical praise, their new style did not translate well among the record-buying public, thus garnering fewer sales than Faith, Hope, Love. "Black Flag", the album's lone single, received only moderate airplay on MTV and radio. Not long after the release of King's X, the band parted ways with Taylor. The details of the split were not made public, but it was believed to be rather bitter. Taylor would admit in 1996 that his company Wilde Silas MusicWorks was growing and, as a result, he was no longer giving King's X, whom he considered "the top dogs," the attention they deserved.[28] In the aftermath, King's X took over a year off to consider their collective future together. The band members followed other, non-musical pursuits; most notably, guitarist Ty Tabor took up semi-professional motocross motorcycle racing.
With grunge at the peak of its popularity, and Pearl Jam's bassist Jeff Ament declaring that "King's X invented grunge"[29] (despite the group's trademark sound being very different from that of the commercially successful grunge acts), the band went looking for a new sound upon their return. They enlisted veteran producer Brendan O'Brien, who had recently produced albums for Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam. The resulting album, 1994's Dogman, showcased a much more muscular and heavy sound from the group, with Pinnick now handling all lead vocals and the lyrics becoming less abstract and spiritual. The record received a heavier promotional push from Atlantic including a compilation promotional CD entitled: Building Blox, as King's X enjoyed a successful tour, capped by an appearance at the Woodstock '94 festival in August. They also toured with bands such as the Scorpions,[30]Pearl Jam,[31]Mötley Crüe[32] and Type O Negative,[33] but despite a return to the Top 100 for King's X, the album failed to sell as well as Atlantic had hoped, and the label's support for the group quickly faded.
The band's third release under Atlantic, 1996's Ear Candy, would also be their last for the label (not including a subsequent Best of King's X compilation). Although it sold to the band's sizeable core following, it lacked the relative mainstream success of previous efforts. The record was soon out of print, and it seemed that the group's chance for commercial success had come and gone.
Metal Blade era (1998–2004)
The group moved to Metal Blade Records in 1998. Their first album under the label, Tape Head, signaled a new era for the band. They modified their creative methods by writing and recording the album together in the studio, rather than coming together to record songs that the individual members had written separately. They also elected not to hire an outside producer and recorded the album at Pinnick's Hound Pound and Tabor's Alien Beans Studios, thus cutting production costs. Their next two albums, Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous (2000) and Manic Moonlight (2001), were more or less created in the same way.
Manic Moonlight featured the band experimenting with electronic drum loops and other sounds for the first time on a record. The new direction, along with the relatively short length of the album, was generally not well received by longtime fans, but did get some positive critical reviews.
For their next album, 2003's Black Like Sunday, the group arranged and recorded an album of original songs that the band had regularly performed during The Edge and Sneak Preview days of the early 1980s. The cover art for this album was selected from artwork submitted by fans in an online contest.
The double-disc set Live All Over the Place (2004) was the band's final album for Metal Blade Records, and their first official live release.
Inside Out era (2005–present)
The band in 2018 (L to R: Gaskill, Pinnick and Tabor)
In 2005, King's X signed to InsideOut Music, the label that had previously released some of Tabor's side projects. The album Ogre Tones was released in September 2005 and was described by many as a return to a more "classic" King's X sound. It was produced by famed rock producer Michael Wagener (Dokken, Extreme, Stryper, White Lion, Skid Row) and recorded at Wageners Wire-World Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The tour for Ogre Tones featured the band playing every song from the album during shows.
King's X again worked with Michael Wagener on its second album for InsideOut Music titled XV, released in May 2008. They spent mid-2008 touring with the band Extreme as part of a travelling version of the Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp.[34] Live dates in the U.S. in December 2008 were followed by the band's first European tour in several years in early 2009.
Molken Music, an independent label started by Wally Farkas (ex- Galactic Cowboys) in 2005, has released several titles by King's X and its members. Live & Live Some More, a live concert recorded during the Dogman tour, is available there as well as demo compilations, rehearsal tapes, and other items. The label released the band's first live DVD, Gretchen Goes to London in November 2008. It was a live concert filmed in London in 1990.[35] On January 22, 2009, their concert at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London, was filmed and released as a live DVD and CD entitled Live Love in London.[36]
On February 26, 2012, the 55-year-old Jerry Gaskill suffered a major heart attack, temporarily stopping the band's touring schedule. He was on a ventilator for several days while also suffering from pneumonia.[37] In response, King's X compiled an exclusive live release from their archives entitled Burning Down Boston: Live at The Channel 6.12.91.[38] The proceeds from the release went directly to Gaskill to help him offset his medical expenses. Gaskill posted a video message on Facebook on April 4, 2012, thanking everyone who had supported him during his illness.
The band went back to touring until Gaskill suffered another heart attack while recovering from a "scheduled minor procedure" on September 12, 2014, requiring him to undergo double-bypass surgery. King's X subsequently canceled all scheduled concerts, and announced an indefinite hiatus.[39][non-primary source needed]
In mid-2015, the band was back on tour, playing numerous dates on the east coast. They also played shows for July in Texas. In June 2015, Doug Pinnick announced that King's X were committed to begin work on a new studio album, their first since 2008's XV.[40] The band signed a world-wide record deal on October 8, 2018, with Australian independent record label, Golden Robot Records, who had planned to release their new album in the U.S, Australia and Europe sometime in 2019;[41] however, the project's release had faced myriad delays within the next few years, due to COVID-related manufacturing issues as well as the slow progress of the band working on the album,[42][43][44][45] which had been mastered by April 2022.[46] A month later, it was announced that King's X had signed again to Inside Out/Sony Music and their new album would be released on September 2, 2022.[47] The band revealed Three Sides of One as the album's title on June 24, 2022; released on September 2 of that year, three singles were released to support Three Sides of One: "Let It Rain",[48] "Give It Up",[49] and "All God's Children".[50]
Although Pinnick initially stated that Three Side of One could be King's X's final studio album,[51] he mentioned in an August 2022 interview that there are numerous songs that did not make the cut and could be used for the band's next album: "Ty came in with four, Jerry came in with three, and I came in with 27." He added, "We would play one of mine, one of Ty's, and one of Jerry's, then do another round. Ty wanted to keep going until they ran out. We needed more songs, so we played more of mine. We recorded ten of my songs, and only some of them got on the record. We knew some of those weren't quite ready, and we had enough songs. Maybe we'll put them on the next record. I still have about 30 songs. I know Ty and Jerry both have some more songs to use on the next record."[52] In an October 2024 interview with Bravewords.com, Pinnick said that he has "submitted a handful of new songs" and "Ty and Jerry have both said they have a bunch of tunes" for the next King's X album, adding, "So, the next thing is to finally figure out when we want to get together and the whole thing you have to go through to make a record – because we live in three different parts of the country. So, sooner or later we'll get serious. We haven't yet really, but we talk about it – so that's a good thing."[53]
An authorized biography by Greg Prato, King's X: The Oral History, via Jawbone Press was released in February 2019.[54] In addition to extensive interviews with all three band members, the book included interviews with such rock musicians as Jeff Ament, Andy Summers, Mick Mars, Billy Corgan, and Eddie Trunk among others, and featured a foreword by Scott Ian.
Legacy
The band's influence has been described as wide and diverse given "the impossible-to-categorize" nature of the genres and subgenres explored within King X's material, with the American popular culture publication D Magazine remarking in 2013 that "[t]heir fan base today is a mixture of prog-rock nerds and headbangers" while labeling the group itself as both "[f]ringe" and "[l]egends". The band has a particularly positive reputation among professional musicians. For instance, the performer Jeff Ament of groups such as Pearl Jam openly declared King’s X as the true inventor of 'grunge', as was mentioned above. In a retrospective interview with the news-magazineBillboard, Pinnick described an emotional, face-to-face moment with Dimebag Darrell, then of Pantera, in which the latter performer remarked "[d]ude, you know I love you" and "we love you" after the record industry controversy caused by Pinnick's coming out. Gaskill has stated that "I think I’ve come to realize that musicians do seem to be drawn to us," with him adding that he's "honored by it" and thinks that "it'll keep us around, because there’s always going to be musicians."[55][56]
During multiple decades of touring, King's X has performed with a number of prominent hard rock and heavy metal artists. Examples include past live efforts with opening slots for Sammy Hagar as well as a full touring bill with Krokus.[56]
Solo and side projects
The members of King's X have been musically prolific since their release from Atlantic in 1997, releasing a number of solo albums and participating in side bands.
Tabor has released seven solo albums to date: Naomi's Solar Pumpkin (1997), Moonflower Lane (1998), Safety (2002), Rock Garden (2006), Balance (2008), Something's Coming (2010), Trip Magnet EP (2010), Nobody Wins When Nobody Plays (2013), Alien Beans (2018), Angry Monk (2020), and Shades (2022).
Xenuphobe is an electronic/ambient project with former Galactic Cowboys member Wally Farkas. So far the pair have released the albums 1.0 in 2006, 2.0 Electrolux 2007, and Drone in 2015.
Like Doug Pinnick, Tabor has appeared on several albums as a guest performer by bands such as Ayreon, Lillian Axe, Queensrÿche and others.
Religious views
All three members of King's X came from a background in Christianity and Christian rock (and, in Pinnick's case, church gospel singing) and have frequently been associated with the genre. This assumption has been reinforced by the Christian associations of the band's name, by the fact that King's X signed to Christian labels early in their career[29] and because the Faith Hope Love CD insert contained an entire chapter of the Bible.[27] However, the band have persistently resisted being identified or pigeonholed as a Christian rock or Christian metal band.[58]
While many of their early lyrics have a clear spiritual influence, this came from the individual faith of the members rather than an explicit attempt to tap into the contemporary Christian music market in the way groups such as Petra did.[27] Initially, many King's X albums were marketed through Christian book stores, but most of these stores refused to sell them following Pinnick's 1998 announcement of his homosexuality. Even at the time, the band welcomed this development as an opportunity to get away from the Christian rock "stigma".[59][60]
A former Protestant, Pinnick has since openly discussed his agnosticism and his belief that Jesus Christ was not truly the Son of God.[61] Gaskill has also disassociated himself from Christianity. During interviews in the early 2000s, Tabor continued to identify as a Christian, but referred to the Christian music industry as "vile".[62][63]
In an interview in late 2021, Pinnick stated "For some reason, King’s X [was considered] a Christian band. Maybe because that was our faith at the time; none of us are any more."[64]
Band members
Current members
Jerry Gaskill – drums, percussion, backing and lead vocals (1979–present)
Doug Pinnick – bass guitar, lead and backing vocals (1979–present)
Ty Tabor – lead and rhythm guitar, backing and lead vocals (1980–present)
Former members
Dan McCollam – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1980)
Dogman is the fifth studio album by American rock band King's X, released in 1994. It marks the band's second album under Atlantic and their first to not be produced by Sam Taylor; instead, the album was produced by Brendan O'Brien. Dogman signaled a heavier direction for King's X and, with strong approval from both critics and fans, is often considered one of their best works.
King's X is the fourth studio album by American rock band King's X, released in 1992 through Atlantic Records. The album marked the end of the band's relationship with producer Sam Taylor.
Ear Candy is the sixth studio album by American rock band King's X, released in 1996. It was produced by Arnold Lanni and King's X.
Douglas Theodore Pinnick, sometimes stylized as dUg Pinnick or simply dUg, is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and songwriter for the hard rock and progressive metal band King's X. He has performed on 15 albums with King's X and recorded four solo albums. Pinnick has also participated in numerous side projects and has multiple guest appearances to his credit. He is recognized for his unique vocals, and heavily distorted bass tone. Pinnick often plays bass with a guitar pick, though he has also been seen using his fingers.
Ty Tabor is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for the hard rock band King's X. Tabor has a wide-ranging guitar style, from big guitar riffs to middling melodic passages. His use of volume swells and ambient passages add an elemental texture to his compositions. He names his main influences as the Beatles, Allan Holdsworth, Johnny Winter, Ace Frehley, Mel Galley, Brian May, Alex Lifeson, Phil Keaggy, and the original Alice Cooper band. In 2008, Tabor was added to the guitar show "Chop Shop's" list of "Top 100 Most Complete Guitar Players of All Time" at number 84.
Jerry Wayne Gaskill is an American rock musician who is the drummer for King's X.
Out of the Silent Planet is the second studio album by the American rock band King's X, released in 1988. The title of the album comes from that of a book by C. S. Lewis, an author favored by band members Ty Tabor and Jerry Gaskill. "Out of the Silent Planet" is also the title of the first track from the follow-up album Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. The cover art features the skyline of Houston with the southern outline of the state of Texas. The album received widespread acclaim from music contemporaries. Pantera bassist Rex Brown commented of his and Dimebag Darrell's impressions, noting "Dime called me and said, 'Dude, have you heard this? Have you checked out King's X?'" He says. "We went on a long road trip, and we must have listened to that first record I don't know how many times, and we couldn't stop! This was the sound that Dime and I were always looking for."
Gretchen Goes to Nebraska is the second studio album by American rock band King's X. It is a concept album based on a short story written by drummer Jerry Gaskill. Having received strong critical praise and fan support, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska is considered among the best work of King's X and a seminal record within the progressive metal genre.
Faith Hope Love is the third studio album by the American rock band King's X. "Six Broken Soldiers" is the first King's X song to feature drummer Jerry Gaskill on lead vocals.
Best of King's X is a compilation album by American rock band King's X. The songs on this compilation, spanning a decade of discography, were selected by fans in an online poll.
Tape Head is the seventh studio album by American rock band King's X, released in 1998 via Metal Blade Records.
Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous is the eighth studio album by American rock band King's X. It was released in 2000 via Metal Blade Records.
Manic Moonlight is the ninth studio album by American rock band King's X, released in 2001 via Metal Blade Records. The album was notable for its inclusion of electronic loops.
Black Like Sunday is the tenth studio album by American rock band King's X. The songs on this album are rare and originally unreleased recordings that were re-recorded by fan demand. The cover was painted by a fan that won a contest.
Live All Over the Place, released in 2004, is the first official live album by King's X. A double CD set, it was also the band's final album for Metal Blade Records. It was the twelfth King's X album release.
Galactic Cowboys are an American heavy metal band based in Houston, Texas. They combine progressive metal with a vocal style influenced by The Beatles and the heavy playing style of thrash bands such as Anthrax. They have been described as "possibly the most melodic metal band ever to exist in Christian or general markets." Although the band members are Christians, they did not consider Galactic Cowboys to be a Christian band. The band has toured with prominent hard rock and metal acts such as Anthrax, Dream Theater, King's X and Overkill. Despite their general lack of commercial success, the band garnered a cult following throughout its existence.
XV is the twelfth studio album by American rock band King's X, released in May 2008. It is the band's second album after 2005's Ogre Tones to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 145. The album also charted on the Independent Albums chart and Billboard Comprehensive Albums. The Roman numeral XV means 15, as this is their 15th album, counting live albums and compilations. Although King's X had continued to be active in the years after its release, XV was the band's last studio album until the 2022 release of their follow-up record Three Sides of One.
Ogre Tones is the 11th full-length studio album by American rock band King's X. Released in 2005, it is their first record on the Inside Out Music label.
"Dogman" is a song by the American rock band King's X. It was released as a single in support of their 1994 album Dogman.
Three Sides of One is the 13th studio album by American rock band King's X, released on September 2, 2022, through Inside Out Music. It is their first studio album in fourteen years, since 2008's XV, marking the longest gap between two studio albums in their career.
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