When an album’s opening lines are “My spirit is broken”, growled in the most gut-wrenching way imagineable, you know you’re in for a ride. Five years after Unto Arcadia, which I somehow completely forgot to review back then, Kratonare back with their first full-length album, titled Monolith, and are, metaphorically, wearing a different set of clothes. So let’s dive into this one, but be warned: it might get uncomfortable for you.
First off, the quintet has changed their sonic direction quite a bit, opting for a much more doom-orientated and atmospheric approach, and they also chose to go into a professional studio this time around, rather than following the DIY route as on previous releases. And, long story short: both decisions were the best ones they could have made. While there was nothing wrong with the way Kraton sounded before, this new genre sets them much further apart from the other bands in the local landscape, and therefore makes them stand out more. And the higher production value really makes this record hit that much harder.
I would say that the switch is most noticeable in the instrumental part of the music, since most songs are hovering in the mid-tempo range and blast-beats are practically no longer to be found. The songwriting of both the guitars and drums is centered more around building a soul-crushing atmosphere, that usually ends in a crescendo toward the end of the song.
Lyrically, these eight tracks pack some real gut punches, with the most depressing views on the human experience that I’ve read in a long time. Coupled with the most despair-filled screams and animalistic growls that Boerdi has delivered during his time in the music scene, making this by far my favorite performance of his…so far. To underline that, make sure to watch the video for Curse This Mortal Coil below, because it showcases the raw emotion perfectly, and it is a very good visual representation of it, as well.
There is absolutely no sign of happiness or hope in the entire thirty-nine minute runtime of Monolith, and the cheeriest thing about it are the three owls on the cover. However, it is also a very rewarding record, because it will make you feel things that you might not have felt in a long time, or even want to feel. This Saturday, at Rockhal, the band will host a release show for their new masterpiece, and in the meantime you can head over to their Facebook page to stay up to date with them.