Where the two worlds of metal and EDM clash, Sullivan King can be found standing tall.
This phenomena of genre mashing has been known to collaborate with the likes of Excision, Dirtyphonics, and Black Tiger Sex Machine. Currently signed to Kannibalen Records, this truly unique artists is closing the gap between the traditional sounds of heavy metal and modern dark-electro. Where other artists have only dabbled, Sullivan King goes full throttle. To get the full experience, King crafted his largest EP, Come One, Come All, to envelope hardcore fans in fitful flurries of ferocious music
A true musician, King kicks off his EP with a dubstep-eqsue rocker, cutting right into the center of the gorge between the genres, frothing the surface with rolling drums, angsty guitar rifts, and brutal wubs on ‘Dropkick’. This appetizer shows off the erratic, impulsive style of King’s dynamic style. Its assaulting, but also a necessary wash to get the palette excited for what is to come.
‘Step Back’ is another stand out track on Come One, Come All with its speedier tempo, layered drumlines, and siren-synths. It is a flavor fans have seen BTSM tote on their older EPs, but Sullivan King brings a more devilish flare with scream-o vocals and crescendoing synths. The guitar really brings the track back around to its rock-roots towards the end, which seems to come too soon.
One track that has been getting a lot attention is ‘Madeleine Rose’- a sort of twisted power ballad, with tongue and cheek lyrics about modern love. It reminds me of a modern TInder story between a basshead and metalhead- what should be love at first sight. Sullivan King’s vocal abilities are present through this EP but his humor, power, and finesse shine through this one, as he weaves a story we all have heard before, but in a refreshingly dark manner. It is like the ‘Jesse’s Girl’ of our age.
As unique as Sullivan King’s style is, it is another example of how interconnect rock and electronic music have always been. Rock music’s evolution has been dependent on the advancement of technology since the invention and adoption of the electric guitar was. Even the predecessor to the modern synthesizer, the mellotron, was being used by rock bands in the 60’s to craft new sounds to their productions and performances. Sullivan King has brought it full circle on this EP, which you can check out in full below.
