Review by Paul Broome

KiGH are a band I've been keeping half an eye on for a while now, I always felt they had the potential to be Wales' answer to Billy Talent (one of my favourite bands of the last decade) - and it's that potential that the band have more or less fulfilled with this their third full-length release (while also side-stepping it, in an odd way).

Front man Aled has said that In Gold Blood takes a "radically different direction", which I don't totally agree with - and also that "it's looking to be our most mature album", which I totally would agree with. The fullness of the sound on display here is light years ahead of 2008's Smart Casual and even 2010's Dirt. The songwriting has also moved to the next level, even if it strays into territories that I would deem 'guitar-pop' at times.

KiGH are at their best when they're exhibiting that raw attitude which they possess in barrowfuls when on stage, but which can all too easily be lost during recording sessions.

The title track is a great ballsy opener, although the all-too-poppy ‘Teenage Wonderland’ follows up a bit limply. 'Diamond Days' somehow manages to encompass both the 'pop' and the 'attitude', even if it does evoke memories of Don Henley's 'Boys of Summer'.

Which brings us to the 80s influence. I know it's de rigeur at the moment, and I'm not entirely sure what I think of that (having lived through the 80s once already), but at least the 80s influences which are clearly on exhibit here (for example, I can sense a bit of Billy Joel in the verses of ‘The Florist’, and Talk Talk on the verses of ‘Only the Brave Die’) haven't been shoe-horned awkwardly in, they're celebratory if anything.  The album includes synths and horns aplenty. ‘Fire’ even has sax solos (which is a step too far in my book)!

But thoughts of the 80s aside, the best moments on the album are when the ROCK is fully embraced, as on ‘Animals’ which sounds a bit like Kasabian and Primal Scream at their rawest jamming together. A truly great track, and ‘Black Crush’ is almost as good – it’s upbeat, but dark and rocking at the same time and features an excellent vocal performance. Final track 'A God to Many Devils' is another suitably sprawling highlight.

So yes, 'mature' - I suppose that's one word for it, it's a good full sound and the songs are catchy and individual, and everything is suitably polished and superbly performed. Although I personally would have liked a bit more attitude with the maturity - and I'm old enough and angry enough to know that the two are not mutually exclusive. I definitely look forward to seeing where they go from here anyway.