Kilcrops - Javhe Karma
Review: Loosely mixing progressive elements of heavy metal and ideas in riffing from underground black and death metal, Kilcrops create architectural riffs within high speed hardcore rhythms using the death metal sense of structuralist riffing connecting dissonant minimizations of tone as found in black metal. Often structures from thrash or punk merge with metal rhythm riffing to form indirect containers for a centrality of melody and rhythm encoding composition.
Even drumming with constant double bass at half pace and frequent harmonizing guitar lead dominated riffing create a suspension of external reality through fragmented, hypnotic consciousness of impact, and rough-throated hardcore rasps against pugilistic bounding rhythms further distance the listener from reality. In this sense the release is pure heavy metal, but its musicality reaches beyond that form where its aesthetics and vision do not, forming an aura of association around any given song to illustrate concept clearly despite the high degree of similarity in texture of main riffs to each song.
Circular in structure but willing to develop at a handful of key points within song for revelation of content, songs measure tempo carefully and with their tight arrangements are easily listenable. An articulate lyrical voice of jazz-based heavy metal progressive guitar stitches solos over ambitious shifts in song, voicing strength for structural changes to come and foreshadowing mood expertly.
Harmonious and yet violent and unpredictable in the savage nihilism of death metal, this hybrid music is reminiscent of DBC or Obliveon if they strayed toward a pop consciousness with an ear for foot-stomping anthemicism. While metal sags with lack of direction this band forges forward working within a rich heritage for the sake of relighting the flame of courage and passion that keeps metal - broad-hearted and sturdy like these songs - moving forward.