 |
| ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| - | |||||||||||||||
| Review | |||||||||||||||
|
Kruger is one of the very few bands that are still alive and embracingt he whole Death'n'Roll music style since Six Feet Under pretty much destroyed it with the release of Graveyard Classics II. Not only that, but this group manages to also incorporate a Sludge aspect to the music, which greatly brings in a whole other level of music being played that seems rather unrecognizable at times to the aforementioned considered dead style of music. For Death, Glory, and the End of the World marks the band's fourth recording, and they show that while many look down at that style of music, that it is still alive, kicking, and getting a large shot of kick ass that is so desperately needed to be appreciated in this manner. The only real time that the Death'n'Rolla spect of this release really shows through is more in the bridges then anything, where the Sludge element of the music still hits hard, but winds up being a little faster with a general Rock melody to it. The start of the track "Anthem of Pretended Glory", as well as in the chorus of that song. This is mostly dominant in the way the bass and drums are played in this, and many other songs, that give that unique vibe to the music, but even then it can sometimes become hard to distinguish any Rock aspect in the music. "Return of the Huns" is a song that winds up playing more into the Sludge style of music, but seems to drift in Groove territory. Even the aforementioned "Anthem of Pretended Glory" seems to have it, as well as some Droning aspects about three fourths into the song, and once again near the very end, so this leaves the album open to just about anything at times. If this is your first Kruger album, it may take some time to fully appreciate this release, as the music sounds good, but at times can just sound like a jumbled mess if you don't grasp what exactly they are playing. However, once you do, you'll love what this band recorded for this album, and realize how fresh the sound really is in today's metal world. The only drawback this album has that many will not become accustomed to would be the vocals. While the shouting vocals throughout the album are great and really push the Sludge aspect of the band's performances, it get's a little old and sometimes because very robotic and monotone. This becomes blatently obvious during "The Ox", which in essense is still a great track with the way the vocals are performed, however it's not until the slower break in "Villains" that the approach of the vocals will wear a bit thin as the monotone screaming goes over what could have nicely been a rather beautiful sounding instrumental before picking up again about four minutes in. This track also features a bit of a variance in the vocal style, as it sounds more forced then anything else and a little lower in pitch. The song "Muscle" also features some different vocals, but it's only for one shout at the start of the song, which just sounds distorted, and thanks to the speed, also has a few moments that sound Groove-based like "Return of the Huns". There really isn't much to be said about this release. While it's a breath of fresh air, this isn't much all that different about the tracks that are on here from one another. The album is far from repetitive, but the material on here is complex enough that the two styles merge together nicely and stand out on their own. There isn't a dull moment on this release either, except for the introduction on "The Ox", which feels slightly drawn out. The album concludes as intense, if not moreso, then it started, without really losing a beat throughout. "Duke of Nothing" really stands out due to it's hard hitting drumming that just hammers away at the listener with fantastic guitars, and really should have been the closing track on the album instead of "Turpitudes". While the latter is still a great song, the vocals are a bit irritation here like they were on "The Ox" and the slower part of "Villains", as well as brings in a musical quality that sounds as if this were actually a Meshuggah album, just with melody and not quite as Groove based. This assumption could be made through the album as well, but it's just more prodominant in this track then anywher else. This song also winds up being the longest of all the tracks by more then a minute, but the good news is that it's well done and will hold your attention from start to finish due to it's consistant slower melodic pace that seems to go in and out of varying degrees of intensity. While this track in it's self is impressive, it would have greatly fit prior to "Duke of Nothing" to create a very fitting end to such a hard hitting album. So, aside the fact of having to become adjusted to the music and vocals, though the latter sometimes doesn't quite happen, and a track placement issue, For Death, Glory, and the End of the World is a fantastic album that simply needs to be heard to be believed. This release is one of the band's better releases since their debut back in 2002, and really does bring something new and interesting to the table compared to the long lines of bands that pound out clone album after clone album. The main allure to this album is it's consistancy from one song to the next, and it's ability to keep the listener fascinated from start to finish without succumbing to any stereotypical aspects to their songwriting for the styles, and even brings in some further musical experimentation, whether intentional or not, throughout the release to keep you on your toes. Kruger have honestly put out on hell of an album with For Death, Glory, and the End of the World, and it's well worth picking up the next chance you get. |
|||||||||||||||
| - | |
 |
|