King's X

When the Springfield, Missouri-based band King's X burst out on the scene in 1980, many music followers were unexpected for the group's bombastic sound. Combining elements of progressive metal, hard rock and some funk meanderings, King's X managed to attract a large listener base that was looking for interesting music created by talented instrumentalists. Though the band filled a good majority of its early song lyrics with Christian themes and religious symbolism, King's X's has since scaled back its spiritual connotations; instead, penning lyrics with more straightforward subject matters like love, personal strife and emotional triumph.