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KARLA KVLT “Thunderhunter”
KARLA KVLT “Thunderhunter”
By Dr. Abner Mality
This German power trio keeps it in the family on their debut record. Markus E. Lipka of the cult band EISENVATER is the Dad of group, holding down guitar duties, while his son Johann Wientjes pounds away on the skins and daughter-in-law Teresa Curtens handles bass and lead vocals. That must certainly make for some unique dynamics in the studio.
KARLA KVLT’s sound is also unique and takes some time to appreciate. I really know little of EISENVATER so I can’t say how much KK sounds like that band. If I had to describe KARLA KVLT briefly, I’d say it’s a mix of alternative noise rock of the 90’s with a sort of immense droning doom metal like SUNN 0))) and very early EARTH. Teresa’s vocals are very clear and sweet...sometimes too much so...with a pop edge, which contrasts with grooves that are sometimes monstrously heavy. When KARLA KVLT plays it heavy, they don’t do it half way...the drums boom, the bass sound could crack pavement and the guitar is massive and thick.
They don’t play very complicated material. “Karma” rides in on a simple bass/drum attack that made me think of VENOM’s “Warhead”. Guitar sound is noisy, gnarly, and syrupy. On top of that, the female vocal lines are soothing and hypnotic. It’s basic but really hypnotic. “Temple” is much more straight doom metal and the word “massive” keeps coming to mind. What makes this song cool is how ringing bells are integrated into the riffs...pretty neat. On “Swallowed”, a lot more of the alt-rock influence is apparent, with scratchy guitars and drippy, plodding bass. The weirdest cut here, this sure won’t be to everybody’s taste.
Then the album makes a real leap in heaviness and power with “Magna Mater”. This is one armor plated tank of a song, crawling along irresistibly as Teresa croons very seductively on top of this metallic trudge. A crying baby and layers of abrasive noise add to the pummeling atmosphere. “Mun Kvlta” combines soothing synth ambience with knee-buckling doom guitar in the mode of early SUNN 0))). Beautiful and brutal at the same time. “Hekate” is absolutely crushing in simplicity, but Teresa’s singsong talking vocals are a bit grating. The guitar solo here is actually bluesy in the vein of SAINT VITUS and early SABBATH. But the heaviest is saved for last with the title track, which will make plaster fall off your walls with how deep and almost abyssal the guitar is. An instrumental track, this is drone doom like you haven’t heard in a long, long time.
A really interesting debut from KARLA KVLT. La Familia Lipka is onto something here…
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