Devil's Gate Music
Related Articles
now The Desolation tracklisting reads as follows: 1. Bloodletting 2. Isolation 3. Flesh To Nothing 4. The Seer 5. Maw Of Time 6. From Ruin Khemmis’ passion for progressive and soulful heavy music is more evident than ever. Though undeniably influenced by doom and classic metal, to tag them with those labels doesn’t do justice to what’s accomplished on Desolation; a perfect representation of modern heavy metal in 2018 that integrates the past in a way only possible in the present. It’s impossible to ignore the lengths that the four piece go to, to master their craft and produce a highly unique form of heavy sound. Their magnificently uplifting, yet sorrowful groovy riffs weave you along on an unparalleled journey. Desolation is not just the best Khemmis record to date but a testament to the quality that heavy metal is still capable of. From the stadium-sized opening notes of ‘Bloodletting’ it is immediately evident that Khemmis is again putting distance between themselves and their earlier influences, to inform a sound that is singularly their own. ‘Isolation’ – which the band recently aired live in the US on their tour with Enslaved, Wolves In The Throne Room and Myrkur – is the album’s lead single and most immediate track, with the classic metal melodies the band have become revered for shining throughout. On epic closer ‘From Ruin’ and throughout the entirety of the album, the lead vocals and melodies of Phil Pendergast are the clearest, most powerful and best arranged that the band has achieved. Working for the third time with Dave Otero at Flatline Audio in Denver, the band and producer now have the familiarity and mutual experience to arrive at the perfect symbiosis of songwriting, arrangement and production value. Desolation is an album that fans of Paradise Lost, Candlemass, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Spirit Adrift, Pallbearer, Yob, Warning, Atlantean Kodex, High On Fire, Metallica and Corrosion Of Conformity should not miss. Formed in 2012 in Denver USA, Khemmis have released two albums to date. 2015’s Absolution and 2016’s Hunted paint a unique portrait; encompassing spiralling progressive doom, fuzz-toned stoner riffs, syrupy sludge and churning classic grooves. They transcend traditional doom forming elegant yet dramatic tracks, conveying their unique sense of melancholy edged with a sense of foreboding. Debut record Absolution earned the four piece outright critical praise from the underground, plus achieving them Decibel Magazine’s ‘Top 40 Albums of the Year’ list allowing their impact to slowly start seeping into the mainstream consciousness. Hunted broke down those final barriers in the USA, earning Khemmis more widespread recognition, ranging from glowing reviews at Metal Sucks, Metal Injection and Pitchfork, to earning them a spot in Rolling Stone’s ’20 Best Metal Albums of 2016′ list and Decibel’s highly sought after ‘Album of the Year’ accolade. ]]>
