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KALEIDOBOLT “Karakuchi”
KALEIDOBOLT “Karakuchi”
By Mercyful Mike
By Mercyful Mike
“Karakuchi” is defined in Japanese as having a “dry or pungent quality”. I’d say that perfectly sums up sonic assault provided by KALEIDOBOLT on this, their latest offering. Quick disclaimer here: this is my first go around with KALEIDOBOLT, so some background research was needed. To my surprise, this Helsinki trio has been rocking about since 2014! Described as “blurring the lines between prog, garage and psychedelic rock”, sets the bar a bit high for me, so let’s see where this goes, shall we?
“Tinkerbell” kicks things off on a raucous note, coming at you like James Dean in his Porche 550. Fast and intense. This theme continues on with “Lights On, Nobody’s Home.”
Track #3 is a wild one! “Coping” comes in with a proggy logic, but quickly turns into a beach/surf type of anthem, with plenty of bass noodling. Fantastic, catchy chorus, complete with angelic moog sounds underneath. This is a great storytelling piece.
As we journey deeper into “Karakuchi”, vocalist/guitarist Sampo Kääriäinen begins to really open up on vocal duties, blending raw, intense passages (think CLUTCH’s Neil Fallon) with very clean, articulate phrasings ala Dave Grohl. Even a young Robin Zander comes to mind on occasion.
“Duuude” is a surprise, banger of an instrumental. Slow, plodding, and downright dooooooom. Thick ass riffs that Victor Griffin would nod at with approval! But wait! The syrupy pace of “Duuude” was just a set up for the breakneck pace of “Friends of Fire”! This comes racing in with an almost NOFX vibe, then lets off the gas to let the verses breathe. Yeah, KALEIDOBOLT are truly all over the place, but somehow manage to keep things cohesive, engaging, and interesting.
“A Chance Of A Lifetime” is the first hint of psychedelic rock, but the rock (rawk?) is still the prevailing element. Lots more fuzz and chorus soloing on this track, with the obligatory bass line breaks. Good stuff.
Without giving it all away, I’m confident any connoisseur of heavy music will find something to like with “Karakuchi”, and for me, KALEIDOBOLTis a fantastic discovery. Apparently, this album was recorded by using live, full band studio outtakes, rather than a lot of studio wizardry. The outcome is magnificent, and portrays a band “leaving it all on the jam room floor”. There are some uncanny parallels with early THE NEPTUNE POWER FEDERATION (whom I adore!), and a relatively unknown Midwest band from Wisconsin by the name of BLACK BELT THEATRE, but that makes KALEIDOBOLT that much more intriguing.
As I wrap this up, I’ve already got Discogs and YouTube open, preparing to go down the KALEIDOBOLT rabbit hole. Come along?
9/10
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