Welcome to another edition of From My Collection. These last few weeks of 2025 have seen yours truly in a rather contemplative mood: A frame of mind that’s been reflected in my recent listening habits. Amongst the bands who have dominated my days as of late are “heady” metal acts like Aktor, Black Sites, Voivod, and the subject of today’s essay, King’s X. Now King’s X are a band whom I’ve loved from a young age, and my appreciation for them has only grown deeper over the years. Musically, they’re nearly impossible to pin down, each record offering a unique glimpse into the multifaceted minds of these three geniuses. Today, we look back upon their sophomore album, which many consider to be their magnum opus, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. Care to join us? Good, because we’ve booked you a one way ticket to the cornhusker state.
Just a year earlier, in 1988, King’s X debuted to an unsuspecting public with Out of the Silent Planet. Critically revered by both metal and mainstream outlets alike, and beloved by virtually anyone who got their hands on it, the album became an overnight cult classic. What it didn’t become was a commercial smash. The simple reasoning for this could be, as I mentioned above, that King’s X were impossible to categorize. However, I’ll go a step further and argue this mass consumption disconnect spoke to a larger pattern reflective of the late ’80s/early ’90s era.
At the time, the two biggest subgenres in the world of hard and heavy music were glam metal and thrash metal. And if you didn’t fall squarely into one of these two camps, good luck. As a result, “in between” acts like King’s X, Living Colour, Trouble, and Warrior Soul (to name a few) achieved modest success at best compared to their peers (i.e. Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe, etc.) Having been co-opted by major labels, metal was now a marketing game, and if some suit and tie-wearing jerkoff didn’t know how to pedal you, it was game over.
Now if they wanted to, King’s X could’ve easily slapped on a faceful of makeup, streamlined their sound for the masses, and laughed all the way to the bank. Lord knows they could craft a catchy hook or two when they wanted. Instead, they stuck to their guns, expanding upon the grandiose foundation of Silent Planet with an effort even more ambitious, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. Based on a short story penned by drummer Jerry Gaskill, Gretchen was yet another genre-defying slab of hard and heavy excellence that saw King’s X mature as writers, musicians, and a collective unit.
Interestingly enough, Gretchen opens with “Out of the Silent Planet”, as if to pick up right where they left off. This hypnotically gargantuan opener boasts shades of Zeppelin at their most mystical, yet without ever sounding as blatantly similar as say Kingdom Come. These Middle Eastern modes are complimented by a splash of retro psychedelia, Beatles-esque vocal harmonies, and the driving beat of the aforementioned Gaskill. Ty Tabor’s guitars are heavy texturally speaking, but not in your typical Sabbath or Priest manner. This truly is the sound of a band playing by their own rules.
This curio of an opener is followed by undisputable proof that, when they wanted to, King’s X could pen an arena rock anthem: “Over My Head”. Admittedly, this FM rock radio staple is worlds apart from what was dominating the airwaves at the time, but still boasts all the ingredient needed for a bonafide classic. We’ve got memorable air-guitar friendly riffs, larger than life atmosphere, and most importantly, a repetitive, shout-along hook. From the minute one lays their ears on “Over My Head”, it remains stuck in one’s psyche permanently.
The explosive hook-driven rock of “Over My Head” is contrasted by the delicately melodic “Summerland”. Far from an adult contemporary wimp-out or a token major label single from a hard rock act, “Summerland” boasts the same cerebral quality as fellow thinking man’s metallers, Blue Öyster Cult. It’s a gentle song, one whose bubble could be burst with the slightest wave of a hand, yet floats along so elegantly on this album’s A side. Tabor serves up the cherry on top with riffs and solos reminiscent of the late Hendrix.
Of all the descriptors one can brand King’s X, the one that might be most accurate is “ahead of their time”. Look no further than “Everybody Knows a Little Bit of Something”. Sure, the chances of hearing such a groovy funk rocker on the radio circa 1989 were slim to none. Fast forward a few years later, and the ’70s-tinged sounds of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lenny Kravitz, and Primus were unavoidable. For better or worse, “Everybody Knows” foreshadowed the early ’90s funk rock craze, and did the trend better than most of its purveyors for that matter.
Side A then takes a turn for the ethereal with “The Difference (In the Garden of St. Anne’s-on-the-Hill)”. By his own admission, frontman/bassist dUg Pinnick was never a Beatles fan, which explains the Lennon/McCartney leanings of their sound being owed solely to Tabor. On “The Difference”, Tabor trades his electric axe for an acoustic, painting a dream soundscape of lush vocal harmonies and jangly guitars not far removed from the Fabs’ Rubber Soul or Revolver era. For most metallists, a song of this nature would be a turnoff, yet in the case of King’s X, it made sense against all odds.
With seamless confidence, side A closes with the hard-grooving riff-monster that is “I’ll Never Be the Same”. While not as anthemic as “Over My Head”, it is an earworm, especially with its grandiose chorus. I can praise this band all day for their harmonizing abilities as vocalists, but I must go one further and praise them as arrangers as well. Tabor and Gaskill compliment Pinnick’s lead on the chorus in a way that might sound unorthodox at first, but falls into place come the second chorus. Yet again, Tabor goes Hendrix mode on the lead, tearing it up whammy bar and all. Halfway in, and the bar has been set high.
As we flip over to side B, we’re greeted by a song that, in our interview with Pinnick, he branded as one of his favorites, “Mission”. The song gently opens with a ’70s classic rock open bit, before returning us to the mystical metal mode of “Out of the Silent Planet”. Perhaps it’s just me, but when King’s X shifts to this musical territory, I can’t help but sit and stare at the equally enchanting album artwork of Gretchen. Chicago? What’s that? We’re in Nebraska now, Dorothy. Lyrically, “Mission” takes aim at televangelism: An important observation considering, at the time, King’s X were branded a “white metal” or “Christian” act due to their spiritual lyrical themes.
“Fall on Me” expands upon the funk-a-licious grooves of “Everybody Knows”, but with an even nastier disposition than before. Tabor lays down one of his best riffs ever, one that I’m sure inspired a million groove metal tunes without even trying. It’s one of the few cuts on here I can classify as an unabashed headbanger, guaranteed to catch the ear of even the most tried and true metallists. Artsy funk-groove metal? At this point, I’m beside myself, but we’ve still got a few more songs to go, so I better hold on for dear life.
“Pleiades” yet again sees Tabor going full Lennon mode, both vocally and melodically, albeit with a slight ’80s metal bite interspersed in between. Similar to “Summerland”, there’s a clever balance of darkness and light, heft and gentleness, each element rearing their heads together like a musical alpha and omega. It shouldn’t work. On paper, it couldn’t work. Yet if King’s X have made a career out of anything, it’s the idea of making the impossible come to life. “Pleiades” flows naturally after such a hard rocker as “Fall on Me”, and serves as yet another palette cleanse, so to speak.
“Don’t Believe It (It’s Easier Said Than Done)” is yet another anomaly, fusing Zeppelin tinged rock n’ roll, funkified grooves, and power pop charm into one unforgettable tune. Interestingly enough, King’s X began as a power pop band named Sneak Preview. While they only released one album under the moniker in 1983, clearly they retained the strongest aspects of this early incarnation and utilized them in unimaginable manners come King’s X. “Don’t Believe It” is a great example of such.
The down-tuned melodic rock of “Send a Message” keeps the listener on their toes, and foreshadows yet another incoming musical trend. While King’s X are far too melodic and retro-flavored to be branded as “grunge”, there’s no denying Tabor’s guitar tone and riffing proved influential on the incoming wave of Seattle acts who’d laugh all the way to the bank in the ’90s. Listen to “Send a Message” and pay close attention to the riffing during the verses. Then revisit any number of Alice in Chains hits. Am I right or am I right?
Gretchen closes with one last Tabor-sung slab of atmospheric psychedelia. Whereas their debut closed with a breakneck rocker in “Visions”, Gretchen closes on a gossamer note. For any other ’80s hard rock or metal band, closing an album with an ethereal ballad would be a death wish. Of course, King’s X weren’t just any other ’80s hard rock or metal band. 12 songs in, and the soundscape that is “The Burning” resonates as strongly as the opening “Out of the Silent Planet”, albeit with its own singular voice at the forefront.
Although Gretchen did not become the multi-platinum smash everyone at Atlantic had hoped for, it did open new doors for King’s X and solidified their reputation as one of the most innovative bands in hard rock. As mentioned earlier, “Over My Head” became a rock radio hit, and remains one of the band’s most recognized songs to this day. Much like its predecessor, Gretchen was met with great fanfare, beloved by virtually every critic who laid ears on it. The album has since been praised by the likes of Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin, as well as prog metal legend, Devin Townsend, amongst others.
King’s X would go onto spend the ’90s coexisting alongside the very bands and musical trends they helped pioneer on Gretchen, continuing to break new ground with each subsequent release. Today, they are still an active touring and recording outfit, and they’re still the same three guys who have been there from day one. I told you they weren’t just any hard rock or metal act! The next time you hear music over your head, know that it’s no coincidence; it’s the heady metal sound of King’s X. Music, music!