THE UGLY KINGS - Strange, Strange Times (CD)

Melbourne, Australia based gritty alternative rockers The Ugly Kings are poised to turn heads with their bombastic sophomore full-length, Strange, Strange Times. Equal parts darkened power blues and raw punk with a metallic rock edge, The Ugly Kings channel the flavor of groups like Queens Of The Stone Age and The White Stripes while preserving razor sharp, daringly introspective control with clever lyricism and addictive riffage. Strange, Strange Times punches from 0 to 60 at the start of its five-and-a-half minute introductory title track, "Strange, Strange Times", before frontman Russell Clark brings the listener back down to earth with his ominous, Jim Morrison-esque croons of blissful ignorance amid relentless chaos. The band's revitalizing infusion of dark energy is immediately evident on tracks like radio-ready, gothic punk-laced head- bobber "Technodrone" and retro-inspired tripper "Do You Feel Like You're Paranoid?" û both interwoven with warning lyrics relevant to the times.