KLOGR
“KEYSTONE”
Album Review By Iron Mathew

9/10

Klogr are an alternative rock/metal band from Italy formed in 2011 who released their debut album, ‘Till You Decay’, in 2012 with their second album emerging two years later. ‘Make Your Stand’ E.P. was released in 2015, featuring a bonus live CD and accompanying DVD. 2017 will see the release of the bands third full length album, ‘Keystone’.

Continuing their savage ascent to the top of their chosen genre, Klogr return to the limelight with their third full length offering. Bludgeoning riffs greet the listener as the album gets underway in typical Klogr fashion, in your face and attitude laden. ‘Sleeping Through The Seasons’ also showcases the bands melodic side. A heavy opening becomes even heavier as a doom laden riff gives life to ‘Prison Of Light’. A much more clean vocal delivery adds to the ever expanding hard rock feel that Klogr have injected into their music. The bands singer has a wide ranging vocal style, breezing effortlessly from clean to raspy to throaty, with hints at metalcore and death metal. Picking up the pace and intensity, the thrash metal fuelled ‘Technocracy’ is a furious romp of aggressiveness. Thundering along at pace, ‘Technocracy’ is the fastest song on the album. Klogr also add a touch of the catchy sing a long style and ‘Technocracy’ develops into a very infectious and addictive journey. All pace is dropped as ‘The Echoes Of Sin’ sails in and gently floats along, with a ballad style vocal performance. A third of the way through the album and Klogr are showing their versatile side, adopting a slightly different approach with each song. The band have matured and grown since their last release and are not afraid to expand their musical boundaries.

Buzzing style guitars sets ‘Pride Before The Fall’ on its way, as it adapts to a more progressive influence than anything else on the album. The chugging rhythm is a delight to foot tap and head nod to, with yet another cracking clean and clear vocal delivery. You’d expect to be swaying and holding lighters aloft when a song titled ‘Something’s In The Air’ hits the airways . . . but oh no, not here. A heavy doom laden riff thunders in and ‘Something’s In The Air’ bustles on its way with a catchiness that involuntarily invokes very hard head nodding. Klogr are turning in a very good performance of variety and experiment. Genre boundaries are not just pushed to the limits, they are stepped over, in all directions, opening up Klogr to a whole new audience. An increase in heaviness cracks open ‘Drag You Back’, a passionate song full to the brim with emotion, ballad like at times with a sparkling vocal performance. ‘Sirens’ Song’ is a one minute, effects laden breather from the heavy, bludgeoning journey travelled so far, leading into the mellow ‘Dark Tides’. Showing their willingness to experiment and push themselves, Klogr deliver a ballad like song, fusing touches of the alternative, progressive and doom metal genres. Lyrically, ‘Dark Tides’ “talks about the underestimated problem of the destruction of the ocean ecosystem due to the uncontrolled exploitation of the resources and the killing of all the natural inhabitants” says (guitarist/vocalist) Rusty.

Rising intensity places ‘Silent Witness’ at the forefront of the bands chosen genre, with a hustle and bustle that only Klogr can deliver. A catchy chorus break keeps the infectious nature of the album going strong. This is definitely the bands best work to date and will push Klogr to a wider audience the world over, to become more of a household name than ever before. ‘Enigmatic Smile’ sees the band continue their more melodic approach to their music. Thunderous at times, melodic elsewhere, ‘Enigmatic Smile’ chops and cuts a savage path as it menacingly stomps on its way. Twelve songs across fifty two minutes is a very good quantity and well worth the purchase price. Klogr have experimented with their musical direction and have succeeded in creating an album that will raise their profile to a much higher level. Bringing the album to a close is the hard rocking and melodic ‘The Wall Of Illusion’. Hitting hard and kicking harder, ‘The Wall Of Illusion’ rounds off an album that sparkles with life, bristles with energy and delivers an addictive listen that will make you want to immediately press the replay button.

Overall, Klogr deliver a great album of various musical influences, crossing the boundaries of the alternative, progressive and melodic hard rock genres.

TRACKLIST

Sleeping Through The Seasons
Prison Of Light
Technocracy
The Echoes Of Sin
Pride Before The Fall
Something’s In The Air
Drag You Back
Sirens’ Song
Dark Tides
Silent Witness
Enigmatic Smile
The Wall Of Illusion

http://www.klogr.net/home/
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