The Killer Meters finally drop their first full album of their own material. After becoming known for their covers of Meters and other funk standards the album "Breakin' Out" does what it says on the tin as they break free of the constraints of performing songs penned by other musicians.
The Killer Meters first emerged in 2005 with a stunning album of Meters covers and since then they've taken on the fantabulous Karime Kendra as a full time vocalist. This lady is a true phenomenon. Her amazing voice and electric stage presence is a family tradition. Her mother is the Northern Soul legend, Ty Karim, but Miss Kendra has more than earned her own formidable reputation. She's now rightfully regarded as one of the UK's best yet still relatively unknown soul mistresses. Her appearances on the Killer Meters first album drew a heap of plaudits and led to a lot of collaborations, most recently on Shawn Lee's underground smash album "Soul In The Hole" (Ubiquity Records). The forthcoming album showcases her at the top of her game and this single is a little teaser showing the styles she can attune that fine voice of hers to.
The Killer Meters were originally the brainchild of Virgil Howe aka Sparo a producer DJ who has released a number of mix CD's and albums on Scenario Records and a stalwart on the former London pirate institution Itch FM. Their first album led to 4 years of heavy gigging and and sessions with other bands. The almost constant gigging and playing led to them being perhaps the tightest funk outfit in the British Isles and also helped them develop their own sound. The first single from their new album was released in late 2008 and gave a taster of the psych/funk/fuzz/rock sound they've made their own. They felt that 2009 was the year they had to get back into the studio and they've been working hard on album worthy of their new sound.
Fans who have seen them play live since their debut album will be waiting for this. After numerous gigs and sessions in other bands, the group are now so tight live that fans are almost begging them for something to take home at the end of each show. Now they have it!
The first two singles of this album showcased their new sound perfectly. Their biggest track to date "Dance Move Shake!" introduced the world to their hybrid funk rock sound and "Freak" on their second single took this a stage further with extra boogie added to the guitar fuzz.
The singles also showcased their soulful side with "Stomp" a nod to the 60's psychedlia sound that is such a big influence on them and "Black Mountain" a soul/funk crooner that showed the fans of their first album that despite adding other musical ingredients to their melting pot they can still get deeper into the funk grooves.
The album takes us deeper into each of these themes. The funk grooves come to the fore on tracks like "Consolation Blues", "Tropical", "Come Back" and "High Low". They pick up the pace as they squeeze in the albums only cover with "Cramp Your Style" and get fast and furious on "Desperate Times" a track perfect for a London car chase film scene.
Throughout the album, the formidable Karime Kendra's amazing vocals take the album into classic soul territory. Her voice is reminiscent of her mother and she really knows how to take it to the limit these days. She can ride the midtempo funk groove as good as Marva Whitney, Vicki Anderson or Marlena Shaw and she shows she can really take it there as she covers one of her Mum and Dad's "I Ain't Lyin' " taking a Northern Soul Classic and sprinkling it with a bit of Killer Meters magic.
The rock influence is prevalent throughout. The guitar of Nick Hirsch, gets into its fuzz every now and again , but he also knows when to let the funk flow. The drums of Virgil Howe, snap hard throughout the album and the break fiends out there will be kept happy with a sprinkling of drum breaks. The psychedelic influence of "Yes" also filters in every now and again and at the very end of the album they take it to an extreme with "Rainbow Of Love" a track that can only be described as a Psychedelic/Disco/Boogie monster!
Very few soul bands today can master a genre and then expand into other territories whilst remaining true to their roots. The Killer Meters can and they have. Break Out with them to this soul/funk/rock/psych goodness!