Album Review: Krokodil - "Nachash"
You know, there was a time when beards were a rarity in the world of heavy metal music. Lots of hair, leather and spikes but facial hair was pretty hard to come by back in the day. Scott Ian of Anthrax developed some impressive chin whiskers and Kerry King of Slayer grew himself a mighty goatee. Nowadays, a formidable beard goes part and parcel with the heaviest of heavy metal and helping to sustain that trend is UK band Krokodil, who's modus operandi is "mostly beards and riffs".
Krokodil's record label Spinefarm Records clarifies, "... not every one of the six musicians is the guardian of a well-thatched chin, but when it comes to The Riffs… there’s no shortage…".
This, my friends, is true.
Before we venture any further into Krokodil's debut album "Nachash" I feel I must warn you about doing a google search for "Krokodil". You will find one of two things; a satirical magazine established in 1922 and published in the Soviet Union or a drug that apparently eats the flesh of it's users. The associated photos are not pretty. Make sure you specify "Krokodil band". You're welcome.
Now, on to the album.
Krokodil is classified as a "sludge metal" group although I don't think they're nearly as "sludgy" as other bands in this category.
The six members of the band are guitarist Daniel P. Carter of Radio One Rock Show, the SikTh rhythm section of Dan ‘Loord’ Foord on drums and James Leach playing bass, guitarists Alessandro Venturella and Laurent Barnard and vocalist Simon Wright.
The music contained on "Nachash" is crushing, as you might expect from a band with three guitarists and the record moves with aggression and a fantastic guitar sound. But there's more to the album than just killer riffs and brutal vocals. There's something a bit like hardcore going on with a touch of hard rock mentality throughout.
"Nachash" kicks off with the heavy yet melodic "Shatter", and in-your-face kind of song with a nice breakdown in the middle that showcases the terrific bass work of Mr. Leach. The thickness provided by three guitars cannot be overstated.
Another highlight, "The Collapse", begins in a mellow way before it tears into something more harsh. It returns to a picked style guitar and well sung vocals. It's not what you would call a ballad but it's definitely "moodier" than the rest of the tracks.
Carter explains, "When we were recording vocals, everyone was in the control room, and it ended up with all of us singing in places. I think that gave Simon (Wright) the impetus to try a few things he wouldn't normally do – especially on tracks like 'The Collapse' and 'Sleep Well, Medusa'. We knew he had the most brutal voice, but there are times when he’s really singing, too…".
"Sun Riders", which apparently will be the bands next single/ video, is a song that had a distinctly old-school feel with it's catchy riffs and group-sung chorus. It's a powerful blend of a variety of metal styles. Again, a little something different.
I think Krokodile under-sells itself with the description "mostly beards and riffs". While both are prevalent, it's beards, riffs and so much more. With all of the members involved in other projects, they bring a dynamic level of knowledge and experience to this new project. It's rare indeed to hear a debut album with such promise and I list "Nachash" among the best debuts, if not one of the best albums in general, of the year. Keep it up and keep the beards growing.
