King's X: The Harsh White Light Of Reality Page 3
by Martin Popoff

And why are you doing more of the vocals?
"I guess because I was finally ready to do it again. The reason I quit doing so many vocals on King's X records is that I just love Doug's vocals and I always felt there really wasn't any need for me to sing. So I usually try to get him to sing everything I write. Unless it's something he just didn't tap into, that was the only time I would sing. But in the early days we actually used it more like just flavoring to have two different types of voices doing leads and stuff. So I don't know, I guess that is us being experimental again. I was just ready to sing again. I wanted to take a break from it for a few years. I guess doing Platypus and having a solo record got me in the mood to try sing again."

And what about the title of this album, where does that come from?
"It's (laughs) . . . I don't even exactly remember where it came from. I know it was just a joke originally. But this record took on such a bizarre nature lyrically and even musically . . . I don't know, we just thought, we wanted a cover that was borderline disturbing or almost insane, because some of the music was that way (laughs). I think it was just trying to have a consistent bizarre nature to the cover that fits the music. Mr. Bulbous is kind of an idea I've had for an album for a long time, with this guy in a suit with a light bulb head. I'd imagined that image in a lot of different pictures that were really disturbing. But our lyrics and just the tone of the records have never been disturbing enough to use it until now."

Take Ty's word for it. King's X fans will be disturbed, some of them refreshed by the departured oddity of the record, some of them lamenting the dark left turn from the bright, shiny and powerful pathway forged by records like Gretchen, King's X and especially Ear Candy. Maybe the band figured it was time we all had a cold reality shower. Well, whatever your wishes, here it comes, like an icepick to the forehead, as the esteemed Mr. Zappa, close cousin to Mr. Bulbous, was known to remark on wet t-shirt night.