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The Wounded Kings Call it Quits

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I’ll admit to being somewhat taken aback by this one, not the least because it seemed reasonable to think that if something was going to kill The Wounded Kings, it would’ve happened by now. The UK progressive doom outfit led by founding guitarist Steve Mills has been through multiple lineups at this point, so I can’t help but wonder just what the hell happened this time that was so different. They’re just weeks from the release of their fifth album, Visions in Bone, so even the timing on their disbanding feels odd. Needless to say, they’ll be missed.

During their time together, from the release of their 2008 debut, Embrace of the Narrow HouseThe Wounded Kings were a persistently, relentlessly creative force in doom. They toyed with cult rock convention and post-Electric Wizard psychedelic swirl, but always brought their influences into an individualized context. In that and in the atmospheric breadth of their records, they were thoroughly underappreciated. Each of their outings offered something distinct from the others — part of that is because of the lineup changes around Mills at the core — but while there were personnel shifts, there was never any dip in quality, and that extends to Visions in Bone as well, which will apparently be the capstone on their tenure.

Have to wonder what the future holds for Mills, vocalist George Birch, bassist Alex Kearney and drummer Myke Heath. When/if I hear of anything, I’ll let you know. Until then, here’s the announcement from the band:

the wounded kings rip

R.I.P The Wounded Kings 2004 – 2016

By now you will have seen the earlier posts and in response to one comment sorry buddy…. no this is not a publicity stunt!

12 years is a pretty good innings for a band these days and there has been well documented instances when the journey could well have ended years ago. Sadly that day has finally arrived. We’ve had a wild ride with some truly amazing shows and met many awesome people along the way. Many of you have become great friends. For that we are truly grateful!

I’m sure many of you are thinking this is all rather sudden but to be honest it’s probably been 6 months in the making. We’ve tried to cling onto the sinking ship for as long as possible…too long if truth be told!. Little did we know that when we recorded ‘Visions in Bone’ a year ago (yes that fuckin’ long!!) it would end up being our Swan Song!

A massive thank you to everyone who has supported us, came to the shows, bought our merch, shared beers, gave us a place to sleep, made us food, did our posters…the list is endless. Most of all thank you to those who believed in us…without you none of this would ever have been possible.

Steve, Alex, Myke and George

https://www.facebook.com/thewoundedkings
https://twitter.com/TheWoundedKings
https://woundedkings.bandcamp.com/

The Wounded Kings, Live in London, March 27, 2016

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