Kingdom Come - Rendered Waters (2011)

Remember when, in the 1980s, the hard rock landscape was littered heavily with Led Zeppelin impostors? The apex of this so-called movement was probably 1987 through 1989, when metalheads were treated to such popular Zep-like releases as Whitesnake's self-titled commercial breakthrough and Bonham's The Disregard of Timekeeping. But possibly tops on the "Zep disciple" list were Kingdom Come, with their debut album Kingdom Come and single "Get It On," which were big hits. Their subsequent albums failed to perform as well (guess fans realized that one Zep was enough), but Kingdom Come singer Lenny Wolf has persevered and stuck to his guns throughout the years by fronting various lineups of the band. And in 2011, their 13th release overall was issued, titled Rendered Waters (comprised of re-recordings of old material and new tunes). As expected, Led Zeppelin still plays a large part in the Kingdom Come sound, as evidenced by such compositions as "The Wind," "Should I," and "Seventeen." But there are a few times when Wolf and company stray away from their Zep-isms, including the surprisingly upbeat pop/rock of "Is It Fair Enough" and "Blue Trees," a song that has more in common with '80s melodic metal than "Kashmir" or "Black Dog." By this point, you know exactly what lies in store with each new Kingdom Come release, and Rendered Waters won't disappoint those who enjoy their rock Zep-heavy.

~ Greg Prato, All Music