Kingdom Come - Rendered Waters
Release: 2011Apr05 (US)
Label: SPV Records
Rating: 3/5

There’s a saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This is true of Kingdom Come, who formed in 1987, rising to fame rapidly with a sound that strongly resembled Led Zeppelin. They had two hit singles and their debut went platinum. Despite their success, the music press at the time labeled them as “Kingdom Clone” and they were criticized by Jimmy Page for stealing riffs. The band members (except for Lenny Wolf) split up after the release of In Your Face.  Lenny Wolf returned to Germany in 1993, reforming Kingdom Come with the help of several German musicians.

The team of Eric Foerster (guitar), Frank Binke (bass) and Nader Rahy (drums) shine on the re-recorded “Can’t Deny” and one of three new songs, “Blue Trees”. Both “Break Down The Wall” and “The Wind” are decent as well, but the rest of the album is too bland to bother writing about.

I consider myself open-minded about bands that emulate their heroes, especially when they bring something new to the table. However, Rendered Waters proves that “Kingdom Clone” is the more accurate name for this group.

Try 1, 2, 3, 11

01. Can’t Deny (newly recorded version)
02. The Wind (newly recorded version)
03. Blue Trees (brand new song)
04. Should I (newly recorded version)
05. I’ve Been Trying (newly recorded version)
06. Pushing Hard (newly recorded version)
07. Seventeen (newly recorded version)
08. Is It Fair Enough (brand new song)
09. Living Out Of Touch (newly recorded version)
10. Don’t Remember (brand new song)
11. Break Down The Wall (newly recorded version)

~Brad Barratt