Singles Roundup: Kerry King, Sarah & The Safe Word, Ad Infinitum, & Nightmare

Let's see which direction the arrow points this week.

Kerry King - Residue

The second single from Kerry's solo debut is out, and it offer precisely zero surprises. Yet again, it not only sounds like Kerry King's writing, but every decision was made to have the recording sound as much like Slayer as possible. Late-era Slayer wasn't particularly interesting to begin with, so an inauthentic version of the same thing isn't going to be an easier sell. What I find most amusing about this song is the lyric, where Kerry writes "I'm in mental retrograde." I suppose it's nice of Kerry to realize the dumbing-down of his writing over the years as I have regularly complained about, but he doesn't seem to be in any hurry to fix the problem. This song is perfunctory, as expecting anything more than what Slayer had been up to would be silly. Before they announced their comeback to the stage, I would have commended Kerry for at least keeping Slayer in mothballs. Now that I can't do that, I'm struggling to see the point in him not just using the name for this stuff.

Sarah & The Safe Word - Pornstar Martini

"The Book Of Broken Glass" was a surprise when I ran across it, and it ended up being on of my favorite albums of that year. Their first single since then has a lot to prove, and unfortunately can't find the same charm that won my over on the full-length. This track takes more influence from Motown, and there is certainly a fun atmosphere to the sound. It's a bit like Twin Temple's approach, but with the camp factor painted in bright color instead of monochrome. The idea is great, but the song itself doesn't have a very strong hook. When the chorus hits, and the voice coos the title, it just seems rather weak, and not at all as powerful and sexy as the title would have us wanting.

Ad Infinitum - Outer Space

I'm always a bit nervous with one-off singles, both because it means the band probably didn't have other songs to compare with and choose the best one, but also because they sometimes indicate shifts and experiments that may not be welcome. This new song from Ad Infinitum is concerning in the third way; the groove of songwriting hadn't been established. Their last album was by far their best, and finally showed them hitting great hooks every time out. This song would be the worst one on that record, and I don't think works as a single at all. The hints of harsh vocals don't help matters, but it's the melody at fault. Melissa Bonny is a phenomenal singer, but the chorus on this sound doesn't sway, or move, or bounce, or hook. It's the sort of thing so smooth it slides right out of my ears after I hear it.

Nightmare - Nexus Inferis

I'm still not sure what to think about this upcoming Nightmare album. The first song released did not impress me, nor did the production to any favors to their new singer. This song is better in every way, save one. The writing is better, sounding right in line with their last two very enjoyable records. The production is better, as the vocals now sit high enough to get a better sense of her voice. She has a good tone, sounding very much in line with the gritty voice of Maggy Luyten from the "Dead Sun" album I loved so much. The issue is that once again she doesn't have the power on display in her voice to keep up with the very heavy guitars the band is known for. She comes across a bit overwhelmed by the rest of the band, and the disconnect between the band and the voice is jarring enough to keep me from being fully immersed. So yeah, I'm still on the fence here.