Post by The Centurion on Jul 11, 2007 14:43:11 GMT -5
Kekal-The Habit of Fire
Released-2007
Label-Open Grave Records
Genre-You Decide
I don't think Kekal needs any real introduction. This Indonesian band has five albums under their belts and just keep trucking on along. I had heard rumors that Kekals sixth album The Habit of Fire was going to be a bit different. I would sincerely challenge somebody to find anything by Kekal that didn't sound a bit different.
The biggest change that will be noticed is the overall lack of extreme black and death metal vocals the band has been utilizing throughout their twelve year existence. Instead you get an experience made up of mostly clean vocals. There is the occasional scream or growl, but mostly this is not a staple. Musically I would still call this a metal album, but I would be hard pressed to actually hand pick a subgenre. The guitars are well utilized, whether they are playing an odd melody line or they are simply providing some crunch. One thing I have always loved about Kekal is their ability to fully realize the capabilities of each chord or melody line and to use it to its full extent. The drumming is well done and adds to the electronic filled atmosphere quite well. The electronic elements on this album are used much more than in the past and can create some nice ambient moments. The song order is well placed with some songs lasting a total of 9 to 15 minutes. One of the plagues of many 70+ minute albums is that they can become monotonous and boring, yet Kekal has crafted an album that will keep you interested, sometimes breaking the longer songs down into several distinct parts. You would probably think that with so much experimentation that the songs would not be memorable, but again Kekal has broken free of any cliches of extreme or progressive metal and has created something wholly digestible in the first sitting. Songs like Isolated I, The Gathering of Ants, or the beautiful instrumental Our Urban Industry Runs Monotonously are already classics in my book and I am still having some trouble getting them out of my head.
The icing on this already wonderful cake would be the thought provoking lyrics. Kekal gives us a hope filled (albeit dark) view of the world. A world where people are enslaved to the mindless repetitions that we cherish so dearly. The lyrics read like a journey through this dark society, yet with a small spark of hope in them, all leading up to five part conclusion Escapism. All the lyrics can be read at www.kekalonline.com. Worth reading even without the album.
Overall this is my favorite album so far this year, and I cant really say anything bad about it. It is a highly recommended purchase.
Standout songs: Isolated I, The Gathering of Ants, Manipulator Generals, and Our Urban Industry Runs Monotonously.
-Reviewed by Dan
Released-2007
Label-Open Grave Records
Genre-You Decide
I don't think Kekal needs any real introduction. This Indonesian band has five albums under their belts and just keep trucking on along. I had heard rumors that Kekals sixth album The Habit of Fire was going to be a bit different. I would sincerely challenge somebody to find anything by Kekal that didn't sound a bit different.
The biggest change that will be noticed is the overall lack of extreme black and death metal vocals the band has been utilizing throughout their twelve year existence. Instead you get an experience made up of mostly clean vocals. There is the occasional scream or growl, but mostly this is not a staple. Musically I would still call this a metal album, but I would be hard pressed to actually hand pick a subgenre. The guitars are well utilized, whether they are playing an odd melody line or they are simply providing some crunch. One thing I have always loved about Kekal is their ability to fully realize the capabilities of each chord or melody line and to use it to its full extent. The drumming is well done and adds to the electronic filled atmosphere quite well. The electronic elements on this album are used much more than in the past and can create some nice ambient moments. The song order is well placed with some songs lasting a total of 9 to 15 minutes. One of the plagues of many 70+ minute albums is that they can become monotonous and boring, yet Kekal has crafted an album that will keep you interested, sometimes breaking the longer songs down into several distinct parts. You would probably think that with so much experimentation that the songs would not be memorable, but again Kekal has broken free of any cliches of extreme or progressive metal and has created something wholly digestible in the first sitting. Songs like Isolated I, The Gathering of Ants, or the beautiful instrumental Our Urban Industry Runs Monotonously are already classics in my book and I am still having some trouble getting them out of my head.
The icing on this already wonderful cake would be the thought provoking lyrics. Kekal gives us a hope filled (albeit dark) view of the world. A world where people are enslaved to the mindless repetitions that we cherish so dearly. The lyrics read like a journey through this dark society, yet with a small spark of hope in them, all leading up to five part conclusion Escapism. All the lyrics can be read at www.kekalonline.com. Worth reading even without the album.
Overall this is my favorite album so far this year, and I cant really say anything bad about it. It is a highly recommended purchase.
Standout songs: Isolated I, The Gathering of Ants, Manipulator Generals, and Our Urban Industry Runs Monotonously.
-Reviewed by Dan