ALBUM REVIEW: Born Of Obsidian – Kurokuma
As far as eclecticism and eccentricity goes, you don’t get many bands that have a large quantity of both. Enter Sheffield’s KUROKUMA, a band that packs primitive brutality alongside Latin American rhythms and mind-bending psychedelia. Taking inspiration from all over the music spectrum, KUROKUMA are not shy about shaking up the metal scene with an almost Frankenstein-esque concoction. This unique sound that the band have created over years of experimentation is intriguing, exciting and enticing, you could say that its uniqueness is as valuable as Aztec gold. Their highly anticipated debut album, Born Of Obsidian, finally sees the light of day under a blood red Meso-American sun.
Whilst traversing the metal sub-genres KUROKUMA have developed a distinct and unique atmosphere. This is accentuated with the incorporation of Latin American rhythms that emphasises the Aztec, Mayan and Olmec themes and concepts that run through the album. Digging deep into the major ancient Meso-American cultures, Born Of Obsidian casts a light on Aztec deities, like Tezcatlipoca, and human sacrifice to the god of sun, Huitzilopochtli. With this, alongside explorations the use of mushrooms by the shamans for religious ceremonies and the Olmec reverence for the Jaguar, you’re thrust into a world of mystic esotericism.
With the album title being a reference to the naturally occurring volcanic glass that these Meso-American civilisations used for tools, ornaments, scrying mirrors and other instruments of dark magic, KUROKUMA breathe new life into these ancient civilisations through heavy metal. With the enigmatic nature of the Olmecs, Aztecs and Mayans, this concept is bound to pique the interests of many and it makes a refreshing change to the current trend of Viking/Medieval themed music. For the more curious it will no doubt spark an interest into shamanism, as the band’s ominous and foreboding riffs work intrinsically with this often shadowy and esoteric subject.
Born Of Obsidian is as explosive as the volcanic rock that it references. With grimy, grungy, sludge riffing, KUROKUMA rise from the realms of Mictlantecuhtli (Aztec god of the dead) with a sinisterly hypnotic groove. Emulating the feelings of being under the whim of shamanic drugs, the music brings with vivid visions of ominous darkness and strange gods. Sacrifice To Huitzilopochtli is a gut punching song that makes you feel like you’ve been dragged up the many steps of the Tenochtitlan, laid on the altar of Huitzilopochtli whilst your heart is torn out of your chest, arteries and veins popping and bursting as it is removed from your rib cage.
Smoking Mirror and Jaguar both capitalise on the band’s Latin American influence, utilising the bewitching rhythms of Mexico during their introductions to lure you in. Jaguar also contains the sounds of traditional drums, creating a ritualistic atmosphere as the rhythms repeat, with the band’s intention for the song to provide a soundtrack to an Olmec ceremony, the song locks you into an inescapable trance until the song is over. Ololiuqui (a woody-stemmed Mexican vine) explores the use of the narcotic of the same name, a prominent substance in native medicinal, narcotic, and religious practices. With its clean guitar melodies playing off kilter over distortion heavy rhythms the song itself is a trip inducing experience.
When the Mayans predicted their doomsday and the end of the world in 2012, they clearly didn’t factor in the sheer weight of KUROKUMA’s debut and as a result missed the mark by ten years. With their unique concept and equally unique sound, Born Of Obsidian is an album unlike any other. The band’s willingness to explore and experiment with their sound coupled with their conceptual interests is what makes this album stand out significantly. As if the stars have aligned and the plethora of Meso-American gods have blessed this album so it can wreak havoc upon the world, Born Of Obsidian is an exciting and intriguing debut.
Rating: 9/10
Born Of Obsidian is set for release on February 4th via self-release.
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