Kings of Mercia’s 2022 self-titled debut was termed “truly a hybrid: it’s heavy, but not metal. It’s got tones of melodic AOR hard rock, but with an edge.” 2024 brings Battle Scars, the sophomore album featuring “Don’t Ask” and the epic “Aftermath” as the first singles. Written and recorded throughout 2023, Battle Scars sees the core writing team of guitarist Jim Matheos and vocalist Steve Overland expanding on their obvious chemistry. “It’s a different genre of music that I’m normally involved in,” says Overland, whose voice has been likened to other British greats Paul Rodgers and Glenn Hughes. Fans of Fates Warning, FM and Armored Saint all rejoiced at the common ground on Kings of Mercia, the sweet spot in the middle of the Venn diagram.
Album Blurb (500 characters max):
Battle Scars is the record which sees the quartet of seasoned players fully coalesced. “I think we’ve found what Kings of Mercia are,” the singer says. “You’ve got the ‘Battle Scars,’ the title track, which is a real melancholy, sad song. That’s what I like about it – I never really know what I’m going to get from Jim. We found our feet with this album. This is the Kings of Mercia evolving.”
