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KRIGSGRAV “Stormcaller”
KRIGSGRAV “Stormcaller”
By Lord Randall
On its eighth album, and fourth with the same lineup, KRIGSGRAV of Keller, Texas had better have a good handle by now on what it is and what it isn’t. Not every band is meant to venture off on experimental pathways, not every band should try to shade or – more often than not – forcefully inject its music with other genres. It works for the rare few but, let’s be honest here, doesn’t for most. If it doesn’t occur naturally, the listening public who actually care about what they’re hearing will smell the stench. “
“Stormcaller”’s opener, ‘Huntress Of The Fire Moon”, looms large, an overpowering sound, but seems lost from the start, good ideas in search of a song in which to find a home. There are swells, dips, and quality riffing of the largely melodic death school circa early ‘00s…but none of it arrives anywhere it seemed to have been headed. The problem with this is that with a production and mix this full, this robust, it accentuates every moment of every wandering minute, displaying the lack of focus in all its glory. The title track redeems, but only somewhat, haphazard drumwork by [David] Sikora during much of “Stormcaller”, contributing to a sense of displacement that’s neither eerie nor frighteningly enticing, just bothersome.
“Twilight Fell” is more of the same, and the shoegazery, post-black gleam Messrs Coleman and Daniels are working for remains unattained by far, lost amid treble [1:44-2:19] and tossed-off leads that do more to irritate than captivate the ear. “None Shall Remember Your Name” wants to be HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY so bad you can hear it, and we’re halfway in without a single memorable lead, which should be grounds for immediate dismissal from my auditory intake mechanisms. Seriously, listen to 5:00-5:32, then tell me any thought whatsoever was put into how it would sound over the rest of the band.
“Bay Of The Barghest” seems to have snuck in when the band wasn’t looking, a bit too WINTERFYLLETH-like to be called remotely original, but the occasional clean vocals spice things up, and I wouldn’t be nearly so bored by what’s come along before if there were songs to match the obvious talent in the band. Would you like more of the same directionless loudness, but faster? Well, allow me to present “The Tonic Of Wilderness” which, despite a rather interesting slower section around 2/3 of the way through, seems shoved in to add some attempt at “peaks and valleys, bro”.
The band’s statement says they wanted to create an album that “…took something from every era of the band, while still pushing our sound forward.” Well, KRIGSGRAV might’ve succeeded with “Stormcaller”, but I’m not sure what I’ve just listened to. Massive production? Check! Vocals that are understandable but still have a sense of power behind them? Sure! Skilled musicianship? Alright, I’ll give you that one. Songs? Not so much.
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