AMPLIFIER MAGAZINE
DARK KNIGHTS OF CAMELOT
HURRICATION EP
OLYMPIC (2009)
Loud is the new black! On their Hurriction EP, Mississippi metal maestros DKOC surface as a pulsating power trio with super-stoner overtones who summon their authority from the almighty guitar riff. Akin to the great grunge men of yore (Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana) and latter day plodders (Mastodon, Wolfmother), this torrid trio has a flair for the dramatic as singer/guitarist Shea's nearly unintelligible vocals slither between drummer Simon Davenport's wall of fills and Harry Crumpler's fat yet nimble bass-lines. A force to be reckoned with, if you dare!
--Tom Semioli [July 27, 2009]
www.myspace.com/darkknightsofcamelot
Mississippi three piece Dark Knights of Camelot have created something impressive here. There’s nothing remotely “Joy Division” about them, which is a refreshing turn of events in today’s rock marketplace and cause for celebration in itself. Instead, they seem to have spent more than a few hours studying the Josh Homme approach to guitar playing and the singer seems to be cultivating a pretty decent Kurt Cobain impression, only with less throat-shedding guttural screaming involved, which again is rather pleasant. Queens Of The Stone Age’s Rated R album would be the closest example to what kind of sound these guys are aiming for, but the Dark Knights aren’t as manic as the Queens. Sure, you’d probably like to have a night on the tiles with both bands, but where QOTSA always give you the feeling that things may turn violent at any moment, a night with the Dark Knights would probably end up with a bunch of man hugs and a kebab on the way home. That still sounds good though, don’t you think? Well it is, it’s just not quite as exciting and life threatening. The Hurricane EP is a good, solid, tub thumping rock record though and it impresses from start to finish. Ok, it’s an EP and there are only five tracks so it hasn’t really got time to outstay its welcome, but there’s a good chance you’ll want to give it another spin as soon as it finishes.
The Dark Knights are fast, sharp and they can be ferocious at times, but there’s a great subtlety to the way they handle their arrangements too. Especially on closing track Luster Lack, which is part ballad, part full on wig-out and has more false endings than Return Of The King. It’s anthemic in ways that most indie bands try for years to perfect and never get anywhere near pulling off. It’s a marvel of a song and deserves to be heard in big, cavernous arenas the world over. At the end of the day all that’s left to say is that the Dark Knights Of Camelot are bloody good and if you like your rock hard and in no way EMO related, then you should run hell for leather to your latest independent record retailer and demand a copy of this little gem.
Bright Sparks indeed, King Arthur would be proud.
Words: Damian Leslie
Citizen Dick
a Cleveland+Chicago based music blog featuring reveiews, mp3's, fashion, and walrus pelts
http://citizendick.org/2009/07/03/tgif-hodge-podge-substitute-teacher-edition/Last up today is a track from an EP that I never got around to reviewing. It was on my list of things to write, but kept shifting to the bottom. No fault of the band in question certainly, but more a function of the fact that my assistant took a week of vacation at the worst possible time. (That’s a joke. I don’t give my assistant vacation. Hah! No, seriously. I don’t have an assistant. If you are looking for an “internship” in the blogosphere and would be interested in reading my e-mail, drop us a line in the comments.) Dark Knights of Camelot fit nicely into the classic rock revivalist category with big crunchy power chords and thunder god style percussion. If you’ve got a Trans Am with t-tops, you’re going to love it. (That is intended as a complement, obviously. Who among us that grew up in the 80s doesn’t wish they rolled into the office in the car from
Smokey and the Bandit?) We’re going to ride into the sunset with “Purple Undertones” cranking; the rest of the EP,
Hurrication, is of similar quality and well worth checking out. Dudes are from Mississippi and recorded three quarters of the thing live to preserve their raucous energy. Good times.
“Purple Undertones” – Dark Knights of Camelot
Blue Healer Sit-Ins introduces ...
Ben Shea of the Dark Knights of Camelot
Hattiesburg American
July 9, 2009
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200907090630/ENTERTAINMENT/907090303
BEN SHEA (SAM MILLER | HUB Correspondent)
Ask Ben Shea who his biggest fan is, and without a hint of irony or sarcasm, he will say "my mother." But with Shea's hypnotic voice and volatile, winding guitars set to Simon Davenport's relentless drumming, the Dark Knights of Camelot "assault your face" with songs that spiral into an abyss of harmonies. It is not your mother's psychedelic rock. They will be performing this Saturday at the Thirsty Hippo, with guest instrumentalist Misha Hercules on bass and keys.
Any tales from the Dark Knights spring tour?
"I got the flu for a week, so that was fun. We all got sick in Canada, but the people we met were the best thing. They kept the shows from being monotonous."
What misfortunes seem to occur during touring?
"I always come unplugged at the most inopportune time. There will be a big build up to a solo and I will move too hard and get unplugged. I wore a half-shirt in Austin, Texas, once. It seemed like it would be fun at the time, but it got pretty embarrassing as the show went on."
You talked Simon into giving up a full scholarship to USM to join the DKOC?
"He told me the year before that if I ever needed a drummer to give him a call. So I called him and that was it. He thought about it and decided to just give it a shot."
Could you explain the inspiration for the cover of the Hurrication EP?
"I guess it's supposed to be ironic. I think it's something that I would find attractive in real life - a half-naked woman in a bubble bath with a cigarette. It's a fantasy come to life."
Someone has commented that a DKOC show is like a musical assault on your face...
"That's how it has been up until recently. Our shows are always really loud. We've been told that we have a lot of sound for three people, and we've actually been trying to watch that. It might scare some people off or bust their ears."
"We're putting a tour together for September. We just started getting some plays on college radio in different states. We're also cutting some demos right now and looking for a fourth member for rhythm guitar and keys. Definitely expect more lyrical- and vocal-driven songs as opposed to epic jams. We currently do not have a bass player, but Misha Hercules, who recorded our EP (and is single by the way), has been filling in at bass and keys."
If you were to ever be stranded on the moon and you could only have one album...?
"'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness' by The Smashing Pumpkins. It's a double album and it's a favorite."
Either dead or living, who would you like to ride the river with?
"Bring on Jerry Seinfeld. I love his work, and I think it's genius. I want to ride in a boat with that dude..."