Holy shit-crap! It's about time that the music industry keeps referring to The Saints as being “The Australian Punk Legend”, because that time is long gone! I mean, sure, the band's first three albums (1977's (I'm) Stranded, and 1978's Eternally Yours and Prehistoric Sounds) DID put the band in the history books as one of the most influential Punk Rock acts, and they deserved ti be described as being for Australia what Ramones was for America and the Sex Pistols for the UK...
...but since the split of the band in early 1979, with original guitarist Ed Kuepper going his own way and singer Chris Bailey continuing under the “The Saints” monicker, a considerable change took place in the band's music, with first Bailey dropping the Punk sound for a more commercial Pop-Rock (later even going semi-acoustic and including occasional Country-flavoured themes, as well as using the occasional track in which piano or strings could be heard – one good thing he kept from his early days, is the very occasional use of saxophone or trumpets), and eventually even dropping the vocal snarl which had been part of the original The Saints' sound (originally only a singer, he also picked up the guitar – the acoustic one, I presume – in 1980, and the bass in 2010 as well). I mean, that's the main reason why I never could get myself to buying any of the band's albums after those initial three!
So, imagine my initial exhilaration, when in the info sheet that accompanied King Of The Sun's download promo copy, there was only mention about the band's feats as a Punk band. I mean, wouldn't yoù assume that perhaps, after all that time, the band had gotten back to its roots somehow? Well, big disappointment, for this album sounds just as commercial as all the other albums of the in between time (from the early '80s to 2006's Imperious Delirium included there's 10 more studio albums – the latter being the band's previous studio album) that I've had the un-fortune to come across!
The overall atmosphere on King Of The Sun [which was recorded in Sydney, Australia...although the band has been living in Amsterdam, Holland since 2005 (first as a quartet including Bailey, guitarist Marty Willson-Piper, bassist Caspar Wijnberg and drummer Pete Wilkinson, then, with Marty decamping after the release of 2005 studio album Nothing Is Straight In My House, as a trio)] is somewhat balladesque, with a melodramatic mood to boot due to Baileys somewhat wailing vocal styling. But, as if to tease us, he chose to give that óne track entitled “Mini Mantra Part 1” a very electrified sound with elaborate lead guitar. If only the album had been one of songs like that overall, you know! Wishful thinking...and for your acquaintance to the album, I invite you to check the samples made available at (http://) highway125.com/the-showtoom/the-saints/king-of-the-sun-digital (on the right of the announcement and info of the album, there's a player with samples of all 11 album songs, and some 9 others). Compare that to The Saints' earlier sound at (www.) myspace.com/chrisbaileyofficial, where a video is available of the track “Know Your Product” (1978). From the album Imperious Delirium (2006), one full-length track is posted at (www.) myspace.com/saintsmusic. The band also has its own website (www.) saintsmusic.com, but I discontinued to check that after finding out that the band's last update of the site was with their 2005 album!