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Krallice: Dimensional bleedthrough

13/09/10 || Khlysty

As I have already stated in my review of their first record, Krallice is the kind of band that will provoke violent allergic reaction to anyone who purports to like trad, grvm, tr00, kvlt, nekro black metal. Being formed around two of the most intelligent, creative and unfuckwithable guitarists of our –or any- time, Colin Marston and Mick Barr, the band creates mind-bogglingly complex music that, although based on black metal’s basic canon (tremolo-picked fuzzy guitars, hyper-blasting drums, raspy screaming as vocals), totally abandons the sub-genre’s one-dimensional traditionalism for the terra incognita of experimentation and progression.

2009’s “Dimensional Bleedthrough”, Krallice’s sophomore effort continues and expands upon the dictates set by the band’s first record. The songs are long, convoluted compositions that rage, writhe, spit, burn and generally act as far from the usual panda-bear-painted, simplistic to the point of dumb, trad black metal as humanly possible. The seven tracks of the record –I’m a bit reluctant to merely call them “songs”- are based around distinctive melodies that constantly reconfigure themselves through higher-mathematics-complex guitar interplay, breakneck rhythmic changes and stylistic devices that would (could) drive any black metal aficionado to tears of either transcendence or frustration.

See, as with the first record, Krallice here do not avoid lower frequencies as if they represent a mortal danger for the soul of the musician (as is wont to happen in 99,9% of the black metal records): no, instead they accept midrange and bottom-end as organic parts of their music, thus creating a huge, dense sound from which angular guitar schemata sprout like thorny appendages from a central mishappen trunk. The band orchestrates its sound with care and detail, going for a terribly efficiency whose only purpose seem to be the annihilation of the listener. Even when the band goes for a less convoluted and more traditional structure (as, e.g., in “Aridity”), the intensity and complexity of the riffing is still awe-inspiring.

Of course, being who they are, Krallice cannot avoid a couple of curveballs in an already unpredictable record. “The Mountain” seems like nothing more that an exercise in nigh-impenetrable black metal noise-scaping, while “Untitled” is an impressive drumless instrumental that flirts in equal measures with black metal’s intensity and with avant-garde composition, while never becoming masturbatory, expositional or technical for technicality’s sake. I also have, once more, to point out the excellent production by Colin Marston. I don’t think that anyone would be able to find such a perfect balance of density, clarity and range in a black metal record production and many should listen to “Dimensional Bleedthrough”, if just to see how it’s properly done.

So, are there any drawbacks to this record? Well, the only trouble that I can see is its length: at 77 minutes, the information bulk a listener has to take in one listen is really huge and it can easily create overload, especially if one’s attention span is deficient. Otherwise, I can see no other problem with this monster. Krallice, once again, create a super-complex masterpiece of progressive black metal. “Dimensional Bleedthrough” will be seen as an abomination by those tr00, grvm, kvlt types (you know who you are, so stop whining) and as a revelation by any open-minded metalhead. So, ladies, make yer pick…

Information
Released: 2009
Label: Profound Lore
Website: Krallice MySpace
Band
Mick Barr: vocals, guitar
Colin Marston: guitar
Nick McMaster: bass
Lev Weinstein: drums

Tracklist
01. Dimensional bleedthrough
02. Autochthon
03. Aridity
04. The mountain
05. Intraum
06. Untitled
07. Monolith of possession

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