The Kings of Frog Island - III

The Kings Of Frog Island are a psychedelic rock three-piece from Leicester, whose third album released by the independent German label Elektrohasch Records, marks the end of the bands trilogy of albums.

The trio consisting of Mat Bethancourt (guitars & vocals), Mark Buteux (guitars) and Roger ‘Dodge’ Watson (drums), enlist the help a number of fellow musicians including: Gavin Searle (vocals) and Lee Madel-Toner (bass) with additional instruments played by Julia Dream and Tony Heslop to put their concept album into fruition.

‘In Memoriam’ the albums opener is a cryptic affair and draws similarities with ‘The Last Train’, which opens the previous album ‘II’, before bursting into life with ‘Globe Street Whores’ a standard Queens of The Stone Age tinged bluesy rocker, with solid vocals and pounding guitars.

‘Bride of Suicide’ continues the psychedelic blast of blues rock, accompanied by rustic vocals and hypnotic chanting. ‘Dark On You’ however breaks away from the previous couplets, instead incorporating the progressive rock of bands of yesteryear such as Pink Floyd and in doing so, creating their own sound in the way of a cold and gloomy ballad.

However the albums gem comes in the form of ‘The Keeper Of…’. Beginning with a slow and atmospheric build up, the track transforms itself into a wall of sound, coupled with experimental chants and rhythmic harmonising takes the listen on a seven minute psychedelic journey, which is a ended abruptly with the chilled out desert rock inspired ‘More Than I Should Know’.

Not only does ‘More Than I Should Know’ break away from the flow of the album, the track also acts as a prelude to the second seven minute experimental rocker in the form of ‘Ode To Baby Jane’.

‘Ode To Baby Jane’ a meaty slab of space-rock, continues to take the listener through a psychedelic drug fuelled haze, allowing the listener to focus on the musicianship of Mat Bethancourt, Mark Buteux and Roger ‘Dodge’ Watson.

The Blue Cheer inspired, ‘I’m Not Sorry’ brings the listener back down to earth, followed by the Black Sabbath fuzzed out rock hybrid of ‘A Cruel Wind Blows’ beginning with a one minute acoustic build up, before roaring into action.

The album finishes with ‘Gallowgate Tree’ a percussion led jam that brings the album full circle and is a fitting end to the bands trilogy of albums.

In comparison to previous albums, III is a much darker affair, however, like I and II the band wear their influences on their sleeve, be it the heavy psych-rock of last 60’s pioneers, Cream and Blue Cheer or the laid back desert fuzzed out rock of the Palm Desert Scene, The Kings Of Frog Island manage to fuse their influences together into their own surreal universe of toads and amphibians.