Penny Black Music review:

If the press release had said that lead singer Chris Lamb came from rural Kentucky, I would have accepted this as verbatim. The fact that Kingskin are native to Dover makes their bluesy, funky, Southern-sounding rock an even greater achievement. Opening track ‘Bottom Dollar’ is brilliant at setting the pace. Previously released on EP ‘Humpin’ Mojo’, it’s a mix of a tight bass line and modest percussion, courtesy of Trevor Lynes and Russell Watts, which combine to produce the kind of sound you’d want to hear if you were sat in a bar with guys in cowboy hats, telling the girl behind the bar to leave the bottle with you, because you’re pissed off with your woman. Or something. ‘She Got The Bomb’ is a master class in slow building, tense, growlingly sexy anthems. It culminates in an exciting clash of instruments, not least of all Jak Chantler’s guitar, Lamb’s vocal displaying an amazing passion which is lacking from far too much commercially available music lately. This song isn’t interested in competing with anyone else for your attention, but it doesn’t need to. To put it bluntly, it’s one of the best songs I’ve heard this year. Nothing on the album is particularly revolutionary in terms of musical styles, but Kingskin evoke memories of bygone days, when men were men and rock music was rock music. The aptly titled ‘Suck Me Sideways’ demonstrates this. It is the kind of song that makes you want to drive with the windows down. How can you not sing along to a song where the words “funky, funky woman” sound like they were invented for this band ? Googling Kingskin to try and find out a bit about them, I came across a review which described them as “like Rooster but with a bit less spark and a bit more gruffness”, which I think is probably one of the greatest disservices to a band ever written. I remember Rooster. I went to see them in Sheffield once. (We’ve all been young, all right?) Kingskin are the band Rooster wish they were, but couldn’t grow enough hair to become. The weakest tracks on 'Rhyme For Smalltime' are easily as good as some of the strongest produced by allegedly similar bands. It might not be on a Radio One playlist any time soon, but that’s Radio One’s loss. I know it, Kingskin know it, and anyone who’s ever wistfully listened to bluesy guitar rock from decades passed will pretty quickly realise it too.
 

Room Thirteen review:

Somewhere in America’s Deep South there are wanted posters with Kingskin’s faces plastered all over, posters searching for a band that could only have come from that part of the world as their funk fed blues oozes through their Southern sounding raw rock. It’s the type of music that’s out to reclaim the gender definition, none of this skinny jean, hair straightened to within an inch of its life dripping in product for these guys, oh no. In Kingskin’s world men are men, there’s no blurring of the gender roles. Their music is a fist full of hard hitting, rough around the edges meat to get your chops into, the type that’s searching for a dank bar to pick a fight in whilst emitting more cool than is humanely possible. The only difference is this quartet aren’t from the Deep South, indeed they’d be more likely to find their bar in their native Dover, but that doesn’t mean they’re the greatest band that the Deep South never had, and one the locals are still on the hunt for. No, these guys are one of our own, thank god. Debut album, ‘Rhyme For Smalltime’ finds the Dover four piece covering all the bases, from the emotion filled acoustic numbers through to the hefty bouts of rock that pound with chunky riffs and hammering beats whilst never losing an ounce of cool. From the stomping confidence of opener ‘Bottom Dollar’ to the full throttle clout of ‘She Got The Bomb’, right down to the raging charge of venom spat out during ‘In The Way’ as it sprints angrily by, Kingskin rough you up with glee, ripping you by the scruff of the neck before merrily slamming you against the wall and what’s more, you’ll be begging them to do it all again. With a thumping bass line that pulsates, radiating a sleaze tinged vibe that’s as appealing as it is hedonistic, ‘Suck Me Sideways’ refuses to leave anyone immune to the band’s charm as singer Chris Lamb’s gravel toned growls and gruff tinged groans snare all. But there’s more to the four piece than rough aggression. The ballad-esque, ‘Nothing Left To Burn’ captures the band’s softer side, rippling with emotion and gentle, perfectly executed guitars whilst the brilliantly titled ‘Too Many Chiefs Not Enough Indians’ gives centre stage to the funk blues core of the band. Relegating everything else to the sidelines as groove fused beast saunter by, ‘Too Many Chiefs …’ is dripping in an unquestionable coolness before Kingskin unleash chunky riffs and noodling guitars to add a touch of grit to the mellow loveliness of the track. And even then there’s still more up their sleeves as the unnerving whisper of Lamb, leering unsettlingly throughout the lo-funk darkness of the verses of ‘Peeping Tom’ set out to scare and thrill, only making way for heartfelt acoustic driven ‘Stick Around’, dazzling with Lamb’s raw emotion to truly bring a tear to the eye. Don’t panic though, Kingskin aren’t about to leave you on a downer. Take their advice and stick around till the end of the track where the Dover lads have cheekily added a hidden gem that explodes with a chug of guitars and a blast of “ye-haw” before the quartet show their fun side with a hoe down ditty about a farmer and his cows; fun filled to guarantee they leave you smiling. Unlike any debut album you’re likely to hear this year; ‘Rhyme For Smalltime’ is a polished, professional chunk of pure rock. It’s the type of album bands on their third or fourth studio outing would be begging to make and whilst their style may not be ground breaking, Kingskin are definitely at the forefront of their game. The best American band to come from the UK.
 

Adrian Denning review:

Kingskin arrive sounding not unlike Stiltskin. Remember them? Anyway, a song such as 'Bottom Dollar' is an accomplished heavy rock cross between the likes of Stilskin and heavier fare, somebody like Audioslave, I guess. 'She Got The Bomb' makes further sense of the Audioslave comparison, offering up some funky, semi Chili Peppers bass lines. For all this American rock, it's surprising therefore to discover that Kingskin are from Dover in the UK. Nothing here is going to change your world but if you do like this kind of music Kingskin do it pretty well. I'd pay to see them live, at any event, especially to hear the funky, real hard hitting 70s sounding gem that is 'Suck Me Sideways'. With a title like that, you pretty much know what to expect.
 

Shadders review:

Intro – Kingskin hail from the south coast and claim to be inspired by grunge music. To those without any sense of musical history is the rock scene that was spawned out of Seattle, America in the early 1990’s and completely revitalised rock music that seemed stuck in the middle of a big bad perm! The Music – It don’t take any longer than a couple of minutes of ‘Bottom Dollar’ to realise that there’s more than just a grunge inspiration at work here, this is a full-blown grunge rock adventure! Chris Lamb’s vocals have a good grunt and growl about them and sound more Eddie Vedder than Kurt Cobain. ‘In the way’ shows the growl to good effect and is a bit of a rock beast with echoes of Soundgarden at their early best. ‘Suck me sideways’ has more than a passing sound of ‘Psychokiller’ but still offers something definitely Kingskin. ‘Peeping Tom’ is another big rock out, with that fast slow fast tempo, a bit Chilli Peppers met Soundgarden. Whereas finale ‘Stay a little longer’ actually features an acoustic guitar and has the classic rock ballad vibe! Highlights and Lowlights – It ain’t no work of perfection but they do stay the right side of the Pearl Jam / Spin Doctors divide more often than not! ‘Nothing left to burn’ is a great song, just enough bite but still shows some vulnerability and with some excellent guitar work too, shows a band with real potential and style. For the other side of the coin, the rock truck drives in at full force on the very next track; ‘In the way’ belts out big time. One thing that does irritate a tad is the overtly Americanised lyrics, can’t think too many kids in Dover have dads with guns! Also ‘Too many chiefs’ does sound a little dated but that’s really all the negatives to one side and there are heavily outnumbered by the positives. Verdict – Not for everyone but those who like their rock without a poodle perm and with a bit of grunge attitude could do far worse than checking out ‘Rhyme for small-time’. File Under the grunge revival starts here.

Alternativevision review:

It’s not often you get to hear a band with that little something special about them, but finally Kingspin have restored my faith in the originality of music. We’re always told not to judge a book by its cover - something which is particularly true of this band. Kingskin sound nothing like a four-piece setup from Dover; you’re more likely to attribute their sound to an all out American rock band. In fact, their cover art looks almost identical to the cover of an old Rancid single of mine, but this is far from punk rock. It’s hard to describe the music Kingskin make. The vocals are reminiscent of Nickleback, the basslines come straight out of an Incubus track, and sometimes you can hear a hint of a Silverchair influence. Having said all that, they’re far from derivative. Kingskin manage to combine this eclectic mix of sounds and genres, and create something entirely their own. And it works. They produce clean, crisp songs, with a funk edge - sometime with an almost bluesy feel - blended with some full bodied guitar and passionate vocals. All 11 tracks are of a consist quality, but are varied enough to keep you interested. You don’t have to listen for long to pick out a few outstanding guitar riffs. I’m a complete sucker for a good bassline, and Kingskin don’t fail to deliver on that count, either. Some highlights are ‘She Got The Bomb’, ‘Humpin’ Mojo’ and ‘Too Many Chiefs…’ (all with some fantastic funk sounds), and for something a little slower but no less exciting - ‘Nothing Left To Burn’ and ‘Stay A Little Longer’. This is one of the best debut albums I’ve heard in a long time, and if there’s any justice, Kingskin have a successful future ahead of them. If you’re lucky enough to live in the South East, check these guys out at a venue near you. I urge you to buy this CD, simply to revel in the fact that there is at least one band who can think outside the box. And if you do, listen out for the hidden track - an upbeat country song about some cows… Fantastic stuff. 4.5/5 Review by Helen Williams
 

Street Voice review:

Kingskin – Rhyme For Smalltime: It’s been two years since this East Kent based band won Kerrang’s best unsigned competition and during that time the band have been writing this debut album that I have in my possession. Kingskin combine the classic rock sound with Grunge and the alternative sounds of the early 90’s giving you a pretty cool listening experience. Ther’s eleven tracks on this album and I haven’t heard one track the doesn’t deserve to be on here. However ther’s some pretty cool numbers that I had to play again and those include ‘She Got The Bomb’, ‘In The Way’ and ‘Suck Me Sideways’. The guitars from Chris Lamb and Jak Chantler made the album the listening experience it is and I for one was left scratching my head wondering why this band haven’t been signed. If you’re looking for an unpredictable rock album then check out Rhyme For Smalltime. 8/10
 

Subba Culture review:

Ah Kingskin, two years ago they won the Best Unsigned Act award from Kerrang!, they were touted for big things and then seemed to disappear from public consciousness. Well now they’ve emerged with their long overdue debut album. They’ve certainly had a good team behind them in the studio, mixer George Shilling having worked with Bullet For MY Valentine and Tim Turan (Marilyn Manson, The Ramones, Napalm Death) mastering the album. Of course nobody can make a bad song sound good, but these guys, with their mix of crunching guitars and melodic vocals, have a really nice sound that should endear them to a wide range of listeners. Add the impressive work of their driving rhythm section powering the band on to unrelenting musical fury and you have all the trappings of a fine act indeed! Their mix of punk’s anger and grunge style muddied guitar lines with such clean vocals could well carve them out their own little niche in the UK rock market. I, for one, wouldn’t be surprised if they add to their awards cabinet in the next year. Matt Merritt
 

Get ready to rock review:

Mixing grunge and funk, Kingskin a new young band who recently won the Kerrang best unsigned band award. So if you like the Kerrang! metal end you’ll love this. The funk guitar with some deep solid bass on the lead track is excellent. Think a new generation RHCP with a nod at Seattle. For modern metal it’s good stuff. ***½ Review by Joe Geesin
 

Whisperin and Hollerin review:

Kingskin are the kind of skuzzy rock band that make us glad we picked up this record and decided to press play. As former winners of Kerrang’s Best Unsigned Band Award, they follow up last year’s cracking EP release ‘Humpin Mojo’. Big riffs and a solid bass groove make up this English band’s (although you’d never know) essentially American sound. It’s high energy blues/rock/metal that doesn’t let up from start to finish. 8/10