Right then cards on the table. I’m a big fan of House Of Lords owning all of their albums.  Each of the first three House Of Lords albums showed a definite progression in sound before the band called it a day back in 1992 after the Demons Down album. Subsequently they reformed for 2004's Power & The Myth, an album that again showed massive progression from what had been released previously. However, perhaps due to the fact it received a level of negative press the core of the band once again called it a day leaving frontman James Christian to put together a new line up to write and record the 2006 album World Upside Down, a record very much in the style of the dearly albums.  Now, with a stable band behind him, Christian & HoL return in 2008 with Come To My Kingdom. 

So how does Come To My Kingdom compare to the band's back catalogue? Well, after opening in the usual style with a short instrumental, in this case Purgatorio Overture No. 2 it soon gets into gear with the  excellent title track and, besides Christian's always superb vocals, this is were the real star of the show shines through. Step forward one Jimi Bell, an absolute monster of a guitar player and someone who stamps his authority all over this album. If this had been the 80’s then the performance Bell delivers here would have seen him gracing the cover of numerous specialist guitar magazines, he's that good. Heavily influenced by the likes of Tony Iommi his heavy driving riff style is the perfect accompaniment to the songs. 

Come To My Kingdom does however sound very much like it is World Upside Down Part Two and as such pays homage to the band's earlier albums with little musical ideas and the “feel” of tracks that were recorded at that time. In fact at times it’s almost like a House Of Lords best of. Fans of the band will be over the moon with the likes of I Need To Fly, a great mid-tempo track of the kind that HoL do so well. Then there's I Don't Wanna Wait All Night which has bluesy overtones before Christian's vocals kick in. Elsewhere Another Day From Heaven appears twice, once in full band version and then a piano and vocal only version to round out the CD and new boy Chris McCarvill is allowed to shine One Foot In The Dark.

Come To My Kingdom is a consistently strong effort from beginning to end, fourteen tracks making excellent value money. As I said  If, like this reviewer, you are already a House Of Lords fan then you’ll love this album, this is House Of Lords doing what House Of Lords do best, and doing it very well thank you very much. Whether it will win them a wider audience however remains to be seen.

Let us know your views on Come To My Kingdom

Track Listing

Purgatorio Overture No. 2
Come To My Kingdom
I Need To Fly
I Don't Wanna Wait All Night
Another Day From Heaven
In A Perfect World
The Dream
One Foot In The Dark
Your Every Move
I Believe
One Touch
Even Love Can't Save Us
In The Light
Another Day From Heaven

Line Up

James Christian - Vocals
Jimi Bell - Guitars
B.J. Zampa - Drums
Chris McCarvill - Bass