Customer Reviews

Come To My Kingdom

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I suspect most people reading this review are already familiar with `House of Lords' and have purchased their amazing last studio effort `World Upside Down', and therefore I will target this review towards those people.

I guess there are two main questions fans want answered. Firstly, is this record as good as or better than `World Upside Down' - the answer is unfortunately `NO'. Secondly, is this record still worth purchasing - the answer is definitely `YES'.

I read reports of this bettering the last album. This is not the case in my opinion, but then again this would have been too much to ask. The last album was simply phenomenal and so topping that was always going to be tough.

The problem with this album is that it is musically all a bit `samey' and sounds very formulaic. Gone is the edginess and variety of the last album and sometimes it can feel like you are listening to the same song again and again. It therefore takes a few listens to start identifying with individual songs. Another slight compliant is that lyrically the songs are also very similar to each other and you are sometimes left thinking `ok, we heard this on the last song'. All the songs are quality material, but there are no killer stand-out tracks like on the last album. One thing I really appreciated however was that the album ends well and the last 2 tracks (excluding the bonus track - acoustic version of a song that appears earlier in the album) are 2 of the best tracks on the album.

This is all sounding very critical, but I am comparing it to the last album to help readers know what to expect. If I am to review the album in isolation, there are many positives and `Come to my Kingdom' is still a great melodic rock record with stellar musicianship, big choruses, and of course great vocals, as always, from James Christian. It is still going to be one of the better rock records to be released this year.

So in summary, this album is definitely worth adding to your `House of Lords' collection. Just don't keep your expectations too high.

How do you top a release that was as good as World Upside Down? Well,you don't.The follow up Welcome to my Kingdom is a very competent release with good songs throughout,but lacks the overall punch of World Upside Down,in my opinion.But,if you want a cd that is listenable throughout,you could do a lot worse.This is still better than the majority of music coming out of the states today.

Well they have done it again, I thought "World Upside Down" would never be topped, but I was very wrong. I honestly think this is the best release by HOL and already I am thinking a top ten disc in my collection. Everything on offer here has been switched up a notch to reach melodic nirvana. The songs are all extremely well crafted and the lyrics I think are sublime. There seems to be a spiritual feel to the songs this time round, references to higher bliss and passion and ectasy abound.

The title track "Come to My Kingdom" is a stomper, a big heavy blast of rock but containing ample light and shade. James Christian asks "where is your faith now I've tested it" trust me I believe in this band's talent big time. The chorus is a triumph and the bridge brings it home in breathtaking fashion. Love it.

Follower "I Need To Fly" has a very eighties feel and one of the discs many fine vocal performances. Again a chorus that reminds you why you love this genre of rock. This song smolders raher than punches and is a great compliment to the opener. Not sure who is adding the extra layers to the vocals here but it works very well. "I Don't Want To Wait All Night" is another instant hummer and builds and builds between the chorus. Still no let down at song three. Perhaps the most sexually overt offering on this CD it has a low down bass line and a sexy swagger to it.

"Another Day" borrows quite obviously from the debut HOL album song "Love Don't Lie" and an element of "Field of Shattered Dreams" from the last release but that doesn't make it anything less that awesome. You get a stripped back version of this song at the end of the disc too. A great song exploring those who wait for the touch of God's grace. Sirens wail to introduce "In A Perfect World" a great rocker, indeed I almost can hear a nod to 'Were Not Gonna Take It' in the drum work. Don't worry its the only similarity. The chorus takes second fiddle to the brilliant verses which really carry the song. Is that Robyn Beck on backings? Great song.

"The Dream" is as smooth as silk, definately my favourite, just try not to get lost in the pomp and granduer. "One Foot" is another rocker and owns a great vocal and bridge/chorus combo. "Your Every Move" is an anthem built on a Boston like guitar flurry. "I Believe" sounds like a flash back to Giuffria daze.

Just when you think it can't get any better along comes "One Touch" built on soaring vocals and dirty guitar its a really fantastic combo. Nicely rounded out with keyboards. Winner of the silver medal. "Even Love" I think is the weakest song but amongst such great company that seems mean-spirited to even suggest it.

Closer proper "In the Light" closes things as strongly as they began. A true rock masterpiece, big and epic. Great song craftmanship again. Indeed this band has written some of the best rock these ears have heard on this one release. Tragic that this has no US release but trust me with a product this great no price is too high. Don't delay in investing in such a fabulous opus-grandious. Phew!!

"Come To My Kindom" is a worthy follow-up to the epic "World Upside Down." You might think that you are listening to WUD disc II. Each song is expertly crafted with James' patented melody/bridge catchiness that keeps the songs humming in your mind throughout the day. James' voice is filled with emotion and feeling. The songs are immersed with layered harmonies that provide a detailed richness. Jimi Bell's seering solos give the songs their metal edge. Each song is creative and uniquely different than the ones on WUD while keeping the same basic sound. My only constructive criticism is that the guitars are a little mixed down for my taste. I would prefer the guitars be even edgier and more up-front throughout the whole song. In summary, quality songs from first to last - buying this CD is money well spent.

2008's Come To My Kingdom is the sixth studio album from melodic rock veterans House of Lords. I think people were a bit shocked when vocalist James Christian decided to keep the band going as the only original member, but 2006's World Upside Down was good enough to convince most skeptics, and Come To My Kingdom is very similar to that album.

Even though House of Lords is pretty much James Christian and some guys, the music they're making is true to the classic HOL sound. It's melodic (obviously), majestic (though not quite as much without that signature Greg Giuffria keyboard sound), and emotional. The guitar work is impressive, especially the melodies, and of course James Christian's vocals are the main attraction. The man has such a powerful voice, and his lyrics make you really feel the songs he's singing. Highlights of this one include "The Dream," "One Touch" (great solos on that one) and the closer "In the Light," but there really isn't a weak song on Come To My Kingdom.

Score one more for the new House of Lords. With whatever lineup, it's good to have them around and making new music. If you were a fan back in the day, you're going to like what you hear on Come To My Kingdom. It also makes a good introductory CD for new fans.

What A Great Cd - This hasnt left my stereo since I recieved it. Recommended to all House Of Lords Fans!

The Good
A killer guitar riff and commanding vocals draw you in on "Come to My Kingdom." It's great to hear such dead on vocal hamonies in the chorus. "I Need to Fly" relies on percussion effections and soft keyboard tones. The track is ballad-like in nature, but builds to a powerful chorus. "I Don't Wanna Wait All Night" uses 80s style guitar riffs and pitch perfect vocal hamonizing. The track is instantly memoriable. Vocalist James Christian pours his heart out on "The Dream." Christian once again wears his heart on his sleeve with "I Believe." The verse section is soft and touching, while the chorus brings the power. Keyboards and melodic vocals kick-start "One Touch," while classic muted riffs take you the rest of the way.

The Bad
Nothing!

The Verdict
House of Lord's latest album is pure 80s style hard rock brought into the new millennium. Come to My Kingdom packs plenty of energy and harmony in just 12 tracks. House of Lords may have had a few mis-step throughout their career, but they are clearly back on track with Come to My Kingdom.

If your thing is eighties rock, then House of Lords May well be worth a listen.
Slick harmonies,classic eighties keyboards, blistering guitars and well thought out songs make this one of the Better albums to come out of the eighties. A criminally
underrated CD by a criminally underrated band.

I stumbled upon House Of Lords quite by accident while doing a search for "melodic rock" and I have been hooked ever since. While I started with "World Upside Down" which is the standard to which all their work is compared to anymore and yes it was one of those CDs that you put in expecting something nice and then it's like OMG!! Where have these guys been? It seems most folks do not consider this effort comparable but I find it as great a please as the previous effort and hope they can continue to produce such music. I love Rock and I love harmony and these guys deliver on that better than anyone I can think of on a consistent basis. But this CD (or the MP3) and you will be glad you did, actually by this AND "World Upside Down" and you will have arrived in rock heaven.

"Come to my kingdom" is the 6th studio album by American melodic rock/pomp AOR band "House of Lords" originally released in 2008. "Come to my Kingdom" is their third post-reunion studio album featuring bandleader/singer James Christian, lead guitarist Jimi Bell, drummer B.J. Zampa and bassist Chris McCarville.

In comparison to its predecessor "World up-side down", "Come to my Kingdom" is a considerably smoother in terms of songwriting, featuring primarily direct rockers and to a lesser extent pompous compositions. In addition, the lyrics address mainly relationships and romance as opposed to the previous album which dealt extensively with topic of war. So clearly "Come to my Kingdom" is much more of an AOR album than a pomp-rock release. That is not to say however that the songs are short in performance. The guitars are thick and ever-present, the rhythm section robust while the keyboards prove once again an indispensable part of the "House of Lords" sound.

Overall "Come to my kingdom" features no shortage of memorable melodic hard rockers in the title track, "I need to fly", "I don't wanna wait all night", "In a perfect world", "I believe", "Even Love can't save us" and "One touch" totally indicative of the artistic standards of "House of Lords". "Come to my kingdom" is a strong album that would lay the foreground for more amazing releases by the given line up of "House of Lords".