When writing about the music of Birmingham's David Williams, comparisons to unheralded greats King's X are inescapable. For one thing, none other than King's
X guitarist Ty Tabor was in charge of mastering David's album Forbidden City. David is also
administrator of the primary King's X message board, which can be found at http://ironpoet.com/boards/index.php. More importantly, the music on Forbidden City has serious echoes of the King's X sound, from the smooth, soulful
vocal delivery of Terry Ruff to the aggressively progressive guitar playing of Keithen Ruff. Lest we forget, there is also David's fundamentally-sound work as drummer, bassist, and songwriter. Then there are the magnificent harmonies which often appear, sounding
a whole lot like - you guessed it - King's X.

David's music also has many classic rock influences, ranging from Led Zeppelin to Deep Purple to Black Sabbath. In more recent times, David embraced the funk-hard rock hybrid of bands like Living Colour, 24-7 Spyz, and (you guessed it again) Kings X. Oddly enough, David's music has similarities to doom/stoner metal rockers Trouble. This is strange, since David had not (until very recently) heard anything by Trouble. Yet, the music on Forbidden City is akin to a less metal-oriented Trouble. This is most noticeable in standout third track "Circle", which cranks up the guitars and turns up the sludge factor. Also possessing a killer hook, this doom-laden song would have fit well on Troubles masterpiece album Manic Frustration.

Another factor uniting David's music with Kings X (and Trouble as well) is a subtle spirituality. This can be seen in my favorite song, the title track "Forbidden City". Its a plaintive ballad, sung with passion and soul, that talks about the struggle to find Heaven and the resulting joy of doing so. Enter the halls of heavenly peace / and gaze upon its grace / the sound of laughter surrounds me / and I feel its warm embrace. This simple yet profound song brings me chills every time I hear it. In The Garden is also an example of this spiritual striving, with the opening plaint Oh Lord I'm growing tired. This is more than a mere song lyric, when you consider that David was having severe lung problems while recording the album. In The Garden is a melodic groove-rocker, with its most notable element being the soaring vocal harmonies. Again sounding a lot like Kings X, this
song is as catchy as Ebola, only with more pleasant side effects.

Other standout tracks on this CD include: the progressive rock opening cut "Never Easy", which briefly utilizes start-stop elements a la the Kings X song We Were Born To Be Loved; Save The World, which highlights Terry Ruffs tendency to sound like Doug Pinnick (of Kings X); and "Sky Fire", an impressive instrumental which features David on lead
guitar. The only weakness on this album is a dearth of uptempo songs, as most tend to be in the slower/sludgier spectrum.

The ten tracks on Forbidden City don't disguise their influences, but rather meld them into a unique sound. The production is crystal clear, despite the stoner-rock vibe that pervades. If you like any of the bands mentioned, you should give David Williams Forbidden City a listen. Four songs are available for download at http://davew.ironpoet.com/fcity.htm,
and the album is available for purchase on the site. So, instead of gravitating to the latest music trend, reach for something different and indulge in Forbidden City.

(photos courtesy of David Williams)

 

 

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