King Adora

Who Do You Love? (album)

Lots has changed in Rockworld since the first coming of King Adora; - the implosion of nu-metal, the explosion of the garage rock revolution, Pop Idol, music downloads, the emergence of spandex-rockers The Darkness, the list goes on. However the Brummie glamsters' legion of diehard fans have never deserted them, and at long last after a torrid past few years during which the band almost ended up "hitting their own individual walls" we finally have KA's second full-length album.

On first listen it's immediately clear that the band have adopted a stripped down rock 'n' roll sound, abandoning the futuristic, electro-elements that laced their debut Vibrate You. Critics will say it's an attempt to fit in with the passing trend, but from the neo-T-Rex-isms of opener Drag through to the muscular metal of Depression and the throw-away New York Dolls-style trash of Maniac Love, Who Do You Love? rocks like Axl Rose, Mick Jagger and Alice Cooper simultaneously injecting smack into each others' eyeballs.

Kamikaze is without a doubt the best track on the album, up there with the likes of Suffocate and Big Isn't Beautiful. Both jubilant and emotionally-charged, containing a poignant lyric about obsession and the fear of being alone, it wouldn't be unfair to say Kamikaze's the best thing King Adora have ever written.

All of the singles leading up to the release of Who Do You Love? are included; as well as the afore mentioned Drag and Kamikaze, 9" of Pure Malice is just over two minutes of glorious, raucous sleaze and Born To Lose is the sound of KA in their prime. Elsewhere live favourite Death By Rock N Roll is one of the catchiest things on the album, whilst Sweet Abandon beginning with its piano intro and wavering strings erupts into what Ash would sound like if they were contemplating slitting their wrists.

The new, metal-y musical direction may alienate some of their fans, but King Adora still prove that as far as glam-rock, sleaze and eyeliner are concerned there's currently no-one doing it better.

Clive Drew