Monday, September 21, 2009

Kinghorse - Too Far Gone


Label: Slamdek
Year: 1994

Kinghorse doesn't belong on this blog, they belong over on CGB, but ("let's talk about your big but" - Pee Wee Herman), if you take a closer look, a case can be made for their appearance here and now. 
David Pajo, you know him right? He played in a bunch of Louisville (and beyond) bands like, Papa M, Aerial, Tortoise, Matmos, The For Carnation, Royal Trux, Stereolab, Dead Child, Zwan, The Palace Brothers, King Kong, and Slint. Dude belongs here based on that resume right? Okay. Then look way back into the past and see that David Pajo was in a band called Maurice with ex-Squirrel Bait member Britt Walford, ex-Slint member Brian Mcmahan, and two future members of Kinghorse, Sean Garrison (vocals) and Mike Bucayu (bass). So, we're making a connection right? 
Maurice didn't last very long at all, and the members split off into two bands, one of them being Slint, one of them being Kinghorse.
Kinghorse sounds nothing like the bands mentioned earlier in this post. Kinghorse sounds like Danzig, later Corrosion Of Conformity, Saint Vitus, Motorhead, Crawlpappy, you know, shit like that. Rocking shit.
Kinghorse will divide you from your friends. They will form a line in the sand between those who love it and those who hate it (most folks). They are a strange phenomena that occurred during a strange time in a strange place. Some people really respond to that, and others...well...others like Slint a lot. I suppose it depends on your threshold for un-ironic metal. 
So, if you made it this far, I should tell you this record contains demos for an unreleased follow-up to their Caroline Records self titled release in 1992, and demos from their first session in 1988. Pure gold. 
Here's a quote from the Louisville Courier-Journal; "The world of Kinghorse is a dark, frightening place where understanding and compassion seem to be absent, where the individual has been oppressed beyond recognition and forgotten. Until now. Kinghorse represents the rebirth of the individual and the raging struggle necessary to maintain and nourish the soul; they are the musical embodiment of the holy war between illness and health.”

7 comments:

  1. Huge thanks for this. I have their s/t--actually I bought it back in 91 before I ever knew who Slint were, and was surprised to find out there was a connection between the two. I've heard about this Slamdek comp but have never actually found an opportunity to get it. Thanks.

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  2. gray was the only other person i had ever met who knew of and liked kinghorse. and crawlpappy. and also the only other person i ever met that legitimately liked iceburn. now if i could only convince him to move back to athens. i swear, it's nice here now.

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  3. Oh Phil...just come out and say it. You're in a safe place, and you know, I love you too.

    We should start a cover band.

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  4. I grew up in the Ville, it's so weird to see people make a big deal out of old Louisville bands. We used to spoof kinghorse stuff at band practice! Sean Garrison is a nice guy (crazy as a shit house rat), he mostly paints now. Nice blog guys, keepit up.

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  5. had this way back in 90. loved it then, thanks for the reminder.
    you are right about the line in the sand.

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  6. hello i´m so from brazil, want re-up o album kinghorse too far gone
    ok thank you im so fa your site
    thank ...

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