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Shadow Music Ryan Harding Review by
Ryan Harding
Keep of Kalessin: Agnen
KEEP OF KALESSIN: AGNEN - A JOURNEY THROUGH THE DARK
Avant Garde

I’ll buy anything described as War Metal, whether I’ve heard anything from the album or read any reviews. The style just doesn’t lend itself to disappointment for me, in all its violent splendor. Norway’s KEEP OF KALESSIN is no exception to the genre standards, they definitely live up.

I liked their first album, THROUGH TIMES OF WAR, but have played this one a lot more. The aggression has been taken up a few notches, always a good thing. AGNEN has an undercurrent of IMMORTAL’s BATTLES IN THE NORTH to it. It’s not quite that relentless and the riffs are often more melodic than tightly rhythmic, but the spirit prevails. Not to mention the songs are out of order on the sleeve and in the lyric sheet, much like our celebrated SONS OF NORTHERN DARKNESS.

From start to finish of its fifty plus minutes, KEEP OF KALESSIN reigns down with crushing momentum, taking care to provide their riffs with appreciable staying power. I don’t want to describe them as catchy, obviously this isn’t dance music or some other degenerate form of weakness. But they defintely stand out and you’ll be eager to hear them again and again. I’d cite the first riff of "Dryland" as one. There’s no mistaking the force it is about to open with as an intro sound increases to an explosion, and what follows certainly doesn’t disappoint. Drummer Vyl brings an interesting variety of fast drum beats to his repertoire, complimented by Obsidian’s guitar work. Ghash’s vocals are effective, low with an occasional clear delivery well in the background so as not to dilute the proceedings. Each song enlists a couple of its own ideas to keep things fresh, like the stop-and-go flare of "Towards I Roam."

The last track sort of overdoes it, but is by no means a disaster. The prospect of an even better album next time out makes KEEP OF KALESSIN a band to watch, and one to follow now.

4 SKULLS

Perplex SkullPerplex SkullPerplex SkullPerplex Skull

This review copyright 2000 E.C.McMullen Jr.

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