Babylon Mystery Orchestra - Divine Right of Kings

Babylon Mystery Orchestra is the work of solo artist Sidney Allen Johnson. Divine Right of Kings is an epic work with a concept revolving around the degeneration of our society. While it is clear that Johnson does not want Babylon Mystery Orchestra to be labelled simply as a Christian metal band, Johnson often uses Bible quotes and uses his religion as the focus for the lyrical content.

Musically, Babylon Mystery Orchestra are closely related to the gothic metal field. Johnson's vocals are haunting and deep. More laid-back and cerebral than Type O Negative, Divine Right of Kings is more in league with bands like H.I.M., Charon, and Tiamat--it's not until "Whore" before you hear some undeniable metal crunch.

Divine Right of Kings still proves to be an interesting listening experience. Nothing about the disc stands out as must-hearing. However, it is rare that you would hear an American artist venturing into this style more associated with Europe. Johnson's use of atmospheric keyboards and strings gives more depth to his dark subject matter. Impressive job from an independent solo artist.