Kings of Mercia - Aftermath (Official Video)

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“Aftermath" is "very dark,” vocalist Steve Overland comments. “It's about what will be left behind in the end. What will be left on the planet. It's a very dark track and very dark subject matter."

"I almost didn’t send this one to Steve, and when I did I was certain he wouldn’t like it,” says guitarist Jim Matheos. “I’m glad I did though, as it’s one of my favorites on the album now. It’s quite different for us and I think Steve really shines on this one.”

Now and again, art offers up the perfect storm. When creative worlds collide with a furious cacophony of power, licks, and lyrics, magic happens. Such is the case with KINGS OF MERCIA, whose second album, 'Battle Scars,' is the continuation of a story as unlikely as it is glorious. The band is helmed by guitarist Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) and singer Steve Overland (FM) who are joined by drummer Simon Phillips(The Who, Toto) and bassist Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Fates Warning).

KINGS OF MERCIA are:
Jim Matheos - Guitars
Steve Overland - Vocals
Simon Phillips - Drums
Joey Vera - Bass

"We found our feet with this album. This is the Kings of Mercia evolving. People think you can pigeonhole rock music fans, but they just like good songs and good music," Overland says.

KINGS OF MERCIA's 2022 approachable, world-class self-titled debut was termed “truly a hybrid: it’s heavy, but not metal. It’s got tones of melodic AOR hard rock but with an edge.” Now, 2024 brings the band's sophomore album written and recorded throughout 2023, 'Battle Scars' sees the core writing team of Matheos and Overland expanding on their obvious chemistry.

"I think it was a bit easier this time around because we’ve established a good working rhythm," states Matheos, "I’ll send Steve at least a few songs every couple of months, and I try to keep them varied. This allows him to work on whichever ones he feels strongly about."

“What Jim sends me is the first draft of that song,” says Overland. “So once he's heard all the melodies and the harmonies I sing, he can chop it about and make it how he thinks it should be. He always sends me three or four different versions. He'll say, ‘What do you think? Which do you like?’ Then we work it out between us and come up with the one we're both happy with.”

“Steve and I started working together in 2021,” says Matheos. “I was aware of FM–they came up around the same time as Fates Warning – but I’d lost touch with them and wasn’t familiar with their more recent work. When Steve was recommended to me, I checked out some of the newer releases and felt Steve was exactly what I was looking for.”

“It's a different genre of music that I'm normally involved in,” says Overland, whose voice has been likened to other British greats Paul Rodgers and Glenn Hughes. “Obviously, I’d heard of Fates Warning – they're a very big cult band in their field. Jim and I touched base, and I told him to send me one backing track. If it sounds great, then it's a win-win. If it doesn't, we'll just call it a day, knock it on the head, not take it any further. That song became ‘Humankind’ from the first album. I wrote the melodies and the title and put it all together. Jim got it and he was blown away. So we made a couple more. I loved doing it. It was just such a different challenge for me.”

Those songs would become the self-titled debut album, which was released in 2022. Written during lockdown, bouncing tracks across the Atlantic, KINGS OF MERCIA found its mojo. Fans of Fates Warning, FM, and Armored Saint all rejoiced at the common ground on KINGS OF MERCIA, the sweet spot in the middle of the Venn diagram.

It’s a true collaboration that has led to KOM's 'Battle Scars.' However, despite the unfolding sound and clear chemistry between the four Kings, Overland has never met his bandmates in person. 'Battle Scars,' like its predecessor, is a slab of transatlantic magic.

Video by:
Simon Ward
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This is awesome. Like a 2024 Triumph or something. Dig it. Will be buying this.

jasonkane
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I absolutely love this band. Album #1 was my personal pick for "album of the year, " and from what I've heard so far, #2 is going to top it. If any rock fan cannot get behind this lineup - Matheos, Overland, Vera, and Phillips - I have to confess, I really don't know what they're looking for. Or maybe I do. They're looking for Fates 2.0 or something like that. Good on Jim Matheos for always doing something different.

jsnlimbaugh
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amazing song and amazing Band indeed!!! I can't wait the album!!!

luka
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this album sounds really good...has to be with the people playing....Jim and Joey are awesome, so glad that they are still working together on new music, even if its not Fates.

stephenpetrovich
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Fantastic! As good as anything off the excellent debut can't wait for this release \m/

mickward
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Absolutely better than the first release. Jim Matheos has such a distinct style

markcolhan
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Too generic for the likes of Matheos and Vera. Nice song but with no distinct character.

Kokoras
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Only Aftermath I care about is by Black Dahlia Murder.

badhandknife
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This is First song I’ve heard by this band and maybe it’s just a bad one but Kings of Boring……

cladinshadows