To show that 2006's Armada was no fluke, Norway's Keep of Kalessin have now released their ultimate statement with Kolossus, an outstanding platter of relentless, progressive black metal, signaling the arrival of the next big player on the scene. Their current tour with heavyweights Dimmu Borgir and Behemoth no doubt the perfect vehicle to unleash these bombastic new songs, Keep of Kalessin, with Nuclear Blast behind them, should have no trouble making inroads as far as gaining new fans by the boatload. Driven by bandleader and guitarist Obsidian Claw, the rest of the band is comprised of vocalist Thebon, bassist Wizziac, and maniacal drummer Vyl, each one an important piece of the overall puzzle that helps drive this well-oiled metal machine. At times the tone is symphonic, keyboard driven (played by O. Claw) pieces ala Dimmu or Cradle of Filth, as on the dramatic "A New Empire's Birth", or more raw and pummeling black metal best exemplified by acts such as Mayhem or Satyricon, which the band exhibits so well on "Against the Gods". Despite the avenue the band takes, the results are always melodic, and you rarely get two songs in a row here that follow the same pattern. While there is a good amount of manic, blast beat driven scorchers, such as "The Rising Sun" and the title track, you also see the band locking into Motorhead styled territory on "Warmonger", complex progressive pieces such as "Escape the Union", acoustic & atmospheric numbers like "Mark the Power", and the galloping black-meets-power metal intensity of "Ascendant".
Vocally and musically, Kolossus fires on all cylinders, Keep of Kalessin finally fulfilling the promise that most have seen coming for quite a few years. While there's plenty of Norwegian styled black metal going on here, the band throws in lots of progressive passages and plenty of other curveballs that keeps you constantly on your toes. This day and age, that's a real good thing, Kolossus containing all the elements that will help it show up on many Best of 2008 lists come year end for many a metal writer and fan alike.
Track Listing
1) Origin
2) A New Empire's Birth
3) Against the Gods
4) The Rising Sun
5) Warmonger
6) Escape the Union
7) The Mark of Power
8) Kolossus
9) Ascendant
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