With
Come Somewhere,
King's X drummer
Jerry Gaskill shows that he's every bit as worthy a solo artist as singer/bassist Doug Pinnick and guitarist
Ty Tabor, both of whom have delivered side projects of their own. As a drummer,
Gaskill had a bit more to prove than the other two -- no one expects the drummer to be able to play any other instrument or write a song -- and he does so on
Come Somewhere by writing all the songs and playing many of the instrumental parts himself. Those expecting
King's X-style prog-metal fusion will be disappointed, or perhaps relieved; this is not your father's prog rock.
Gaskill's approach has plenty of weight and density, but his influences are both obvious and varied: they include
the Beatles ("She's Cool"),
Elvis Costello ("Johnny's Song"), and 1960s psychedelia ("Gallop"). His singing voice is pleasantly unaffected, slightly nasal, and utterly lacking in drama; in fact, most of the time he sounds like he's smiling. The lines that sound like retrograde sexism are probably intended ironically, and if "No Love" goes nowhere for four and a half minutes, it's quickly redeemed by the well-crafted "L.A. Flight." Maybe
Gaskill should step out to the front more often during those
King's X gigs. ~ Rick Anderson