KINGDOM

So it's a Easter Sunday afternoon and we're in the van on the way to our show with He is Legend (who sucked live by the way). As I'm falling in and out of precious naptime Dyl says, "dude Zoe, this is a girl". What I sat up to hear was some BRUTAL hardcore that goes by the name of KINGDOM. The vocalist, Davin, has literally one of the toughest voices I've ever heard. Not only can she yell/scream with power, her lyrics are creative and inspiring, and some songs even feature her (check out "Pythoness") rapping ,but with the same raspy growl.
Similar to Gather, the band as a whole promotes a vegan straightedge lifestyle, and many of the songs are about these topics. What makes KINGDOM's message even more meaningful is how personalized the lyrics are. In a blog, Davin explains the words to "The Rage That Guides" by saying:

Every word in this song was taken directly from conversations that my Dad and I have had about our society's physical and psychological war against the poor, women, people of color, non christians, the radically minded, the trans/gay/bi/queer community, and moreover, what it is like to watch the person you love the most suffer through the discrimination, hate, and abuse of this culture. "How," my Dad asked me on the day he found out I was drugged and gang-raped, "how do you face the world knowing how cruel it can be? How do you keep from locking yourself in a room and crying all day after what's been done to you?" That answer was easy. "For every time I should have cried, for every time I've been hurt, the only thing I've ever felt is hate and an all-consuming rage toward a society that allows this to continue. That's that's what keeps me focused and that's what keep me strong... this rage. This rage that guides me."

I have to thank Jeff for introducing them to me, and we'll be seeing them @ Charm City Art Space on Sunday. If you're in the area please come out and support this band. They represent everything that needs to be represented in this scene. THEY EVEN HAVE A VEGETABLE OIL FUEL VAN. ANd if you're not in the Bmore area, they're on tour now, so definitely check their myspace to see if they're comin to your town!





The Rage that Guides