Metal or Die: The Gift of Kingdom of Tyrants

Ben had a great time talking to Kevin Curran and Mike Munro—two legends of the incredible and underrated Boston power thrash metal scene of the 1980s and 1990s. They talk about the brotherhood and musical vision behind their new super group Kingdom of Tyrants and the band's absolutely phenomenal debut album “Architects of Power.” From Ben's signature metal gushry LOL to deep dives into song development and Mike's vocal arrangements, this interview covers a lot of ground. Rather than proceed in any canned linear way, we talk about Mike's artistic development since his last record with Meliah Rage, the tour de force "Masquerade." We also explore the importance of history in Kevin's approach to song lyrics and how the timeless themes of the Guilded Age created connective tissue between each of "Architects of Power" nine tracks, including the mythological lessons of "Daedalus" and the album's epic "Ghosts of Industry." We also hear from the band's manager and videographer par excellence, Rudy Childs! Exploring the early origins of Steel Assassin and Mike's early band Speed Limit, some great stories and laughs are shared as they drink brews and talk metal past and present. Samples of songs on this episode appear in this order:

Introduction: Daedalus (from Architects of Power by Kingdom of Tyrants)

II. History Will Tell (from Masquerade by Meliah Rage)

III. Ghosts of Industry (from Architects of Power by Kingdom of Tyrants)

IV. Metal or Die (from Architects of Power by Kingdom of Tyrants)

Links to Album Bandcamp sites: Buy or die!!!!

⁠Kingdom of Tyrants - Architects of Power⁠

⁠Meliah Rage - Masquerade⁠

Kingdom of Tyrants Videos by Rudy Childs

⁠⁠A Boston Metal Story - KINGDOM OF TYRANTS interview⁠⁠

⁠KINGDOM OF TYRANTS "Ghosts of Industry" music video⁠

⁠KINGDOM OF TYRANTS "Kingdom of Tyrants" music video⁠

⁠Kingdom of Tyrants - The Judas Gate⁠