Out of the Silent Planet

King's X: Ty Tabor (vocals, guitar); Doug Pinnick (vocals, bass); Jerry Gaskill (drums, background vocals).
Personnel: Ty Tabor (vocals, guitar); Jerry Gaskill (vocals, drums); Doug Pinnick (vocals).
Audio Remasterer: Jon Astley.
Liner Note Authors: Derek Oliver; Malcolm Dome.
Recording information: Rampart Studio, Houston, TX.
Illustrator: James McDermott .
Photographers: P.G. Brunelli; Ron Akiyama; Bob Willems.
Heavy metal became largely irrelevant by the late-'80s. Glam metal bands were regurgitating the New York Dolls and Kiss, and thrash metallists were aping Metallica and Motorhead. So when King's X hit the scene in 1988 with OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET, it must have been like a breath of fresh air. Equal parts prog-rock, funk, metal, and psychedelic (evident in their killer Beatles-esque vocal harmonies), their debut showed that metal didn't have to be one-dimensional. With lyrics that reflected their Christian beliefs, such early King's X classics as "Goldilox," "King," "Far, Far Away," "Shot of Love," and the viciously rocking album closer "Visions" make OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET one of the '80s best metal debuts.