EP REVIEW: Sheffield’s Best Metal Bands Vol. 1 – Kurokuma

There’s a duality to Sheffield doom unit KUROKUMA, one between the crushing heaviness and leaden pacing of their music and the tongue-firmly-in-cheekedness of their approach to things like EP titles (Sheffield’s Best Metal Bands Vol.1) and their choice to include a cover of 90’s acid-funk godfather’s JAMIORQUAI’s classic Deeper Underground. It’s clear that the trio have no qualms with mixing a bit of levity in with the heavity.

But first, opener RVN gets down to the serious business of brutality; rushing winds and cawing crows add a threatening aura to a steady bassy synth plod. Drums slowly fade in, adding a distinctly 80’s tinged synthwave groove, before growling guitars make their presence felt, mirroring the main through line. Densely layered, the track rolls at an easy groove, riffs slowly evolving as clanging cymbals take up the flanks. Dropping into a buzzing, sludgy single guitar riff, screamed vocals call and respond as parade-ground snare rolls echo their rhythm, continuing to build with stuttering kicks until the tension breaks into a huge closing riff.

Wasp Nest is true to its name, the sounds of swarming insects an incredibly effective way of triggering claustrophobia and unease. Huge, girthy bass grinds in with shuffling drums picking up the groove, winding under trippy, effects drenched chords. The rhythmic scuffle persists, flourishing and rolling as the band adds layer after regurgitated layer as if they’re constructing a hateful nest in your shed. The drums fall away, before coming back frantic and strong, the track ending on a noisy bleat.

There’s something about Joe E Allen’s drums throughout the record that embraces deep, danceable grooves that you don’t often see in doom, which sets them up nicely for the absolute madshit of their Deeper Underground cover. Kicking in with a Kaiju film sample, buzzing chords ooze in slowly, the signature upbeat bounce of the original slowed to a kneecapped crawl, almost unrecognisable. Tremolo guitars skitter off to the sides, the track threatening to break down into a squall of feedback before the drums kick it forcibly back to life, distant hoarse shouts distorting the familiar lyrics. They successfully transform the spirit of the sunny pop-funk into a bleak and desolate wasteland, chipping away at the original to find it channeling a heretofore hidden darkness, unearthed here.

Closing with a second slice of Wasp Nest, this time the Memphis Edit, tapping cymbals and an oddball sample making way for break-core electric drumming and chiming synth notes, distant screams keeping things tense while they noisily distort the beats and riffs of the original track.

A solid and surprising collection of aural nastiness, continuing proof of why KUROKUMA are well regarded on the scene and by critics alike. Five years since they formed, they need to stop teasing us with EP and Demo foreplay and batter us with something full-length.

Rating: 7/10

Sheffield’s Best Metal Bands Vol. 1 is out now via Off Me Nut Records.

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