Label - Self-Release
Release Date - 9th August 2024
Words - Chris Fletcher
Albums based on the concept of time are not exactly a new idea, and so in order for this to be successful a band has to approach it with a fresh perspective and interesting angle.
This is exactly what trio Kurokuma have been able to do with their self-released sophomore record Of Amber and Sand. Each track deals with a different facet of eternity and its significance to the human experience. Combining this with musical influences from the Middle East and Balkans offers a unique take on the subject matter that feels both timeless and powerful.
Opening the record with a rooster call before hitting you with a groove-laden sludgy riff ensures you wake up and take notice of what is happening. In fact, opening track ‘I Am Forever’ and closer ‘Chronoclasm’ ensure the album is bookended by the two album standouts, the latter bringing everything the band excels at together in one epic ten-minute melting pot.
Although these two might be highlights, what happens in between isn’t bad either.
Another real plus point of this album (especially compared to the band's debut) is the overall production. Whilst the band have advised that they weren’t really satisfied with the sound of the previous record due to the disjointed nature of the sessions, Of Amber and Sand sounds absolutely massive. The overall aim may be to keep things raw and bludgeon the listener, but this is done in an impressively layered way that is rewarded on repeat listens.
The only negative you can really pick out from the album is that, whilst it does contain eleven tracks, only six of these are full songs with the rest being instrumental interludes. Whilst this will inevitably rankle with a few, in actuality they are all short and help to contribute to the overall mood and feel of the record.
Kurokuma may have begun life as a doom band, but in 2024 they are so much more. Psychedelic sludge with notes of death metal creates a musical landscape that will appeal to fans from all across the metal spectrum. Whilst there are touchstones of potential influences you can pick out such as System of a Down, Nailbomb and early Machine Head, the truth is that the band have been able to use their knowledge of folk and world instruments to create a sound that is unique to them.
It is unclear whether the band will pick a new world influence for future releases, but what is certain is that if they are able to continue with this level of quality then this is a band that everybody will be talking about.
8/10.
Comments