Kingsmen are here and ready to deliver. Bones Don’t Lie is a solid blend of old school and new school metalcore influence with sprinkles of rock; guaranteed to attract old and new fans alike. By pulling influence from what sounds like Breaking Benjamin and Parkway Drive and mixing it with the sounds of bands such as We Came As Romans and Five Finger Death Punch, there is a tremendous amount to unpack here.
Within the first few tracks, Kingsmen really show the listener the heavy Breaking Benjamin influence we were talking about. And with title track “Bones Don’t Lie” and “Trial By Fire” being those first few tracks, we get that taste right out of the gates. With heavy riffs and some soaring vocals, these guys put on display exactly what they’re going for this record. Or so one would think. Because with track 5 “Memory”, they come in with an almost Enter Shikari style synth before dropping in with what could pass as a newer Parkway Drive single. Already confusing the listener with such genre bending styles, they decide to add an almost deathcore style breakdown to close out the track.
“Dead Letter” and “Catalyst” are perfect examples of the soft and harder side of that Five Finger Death Punch influence. They show exactly how great these guys are able to go from pulling on ones heart strings to absolutely melting ones face off with sheer ferocity. And what is also neat for the listeners that are here for the old school sound; “Catalyst” also comes with somewhat of a Static-X feel to it. Which just adds more to the ever growing influence this album brings to the table. Although it may not be for everybody, the band do seek to appeal to as broad an audience as possible.
Ending the album with tracks “Prayer Man” and “Diamondize”, we circle back to that Parkway Drive influence. But the listener will notice very strangely enough, “Prayer Man” comes at you with a very Powerman 5000 vibe that is impossible to miss. With a never ending supply of genre bending goodness and influences, the listener has a lot to unpack within the 31 minutes they’re given. And with it all shoved into only 10 tracks it can be almost too much. But at the same time Kingsmen aren’t here to hold anything back, proving they aren’t afraid to show any emotion or set any mood while simultaneously showing they can destroy any pit in the same process. Within these 10 tracks, Kingsmen prove they can shred and slam, as well as dropping tender ballads, all on the same album.