ALBUM REVIEW: Damnatio Memoriae – Kaoteon
Good things come to those who wait; This is a sentiment that definitely rings true when it comes to Amsterdam based blackened death metallers KAOTEON. It’s not often that you see a band that have been active for two decades on the cusp of releasing only their second full length album, having left their fans waiting expectantly for just over seven years between their impressive debut album, Veni Vidi Vomui, and their latest record, Damnatio Memoriae, but this is definitely the case with this band. That isn’t to say that this is a band that lacks creativity, however. Just listening to either of their records shows that the quality of the music is far more important than the quantity when it comes to KAOTEON, and Damnatio Memoriae in particular illustrates this point strongly. This newest record builds on the solid foundations laid down by their debut, and features some noticeable guest performances, with Linus Kalusnitzer of OBSCURA on bass and MARDUK‘s Fredrik Widigs holding court behind the drum kit. Just one listen of this album is telling that this is a record that has been well worth waiting for.
The opening, titular song, is a fierce, melody-tinged slab of aggressive blackened death metal that couples powerful drumming and vicious guitar hooks with some impressive, eclectic vocals, ranging from feral shrieks to bestial roars and dense gutturals. The high level of musicianship and dark, foreboding atmosphere help to set the tone for the rest of the record, blending discordant riffs with sharp melodious leads that provide some catchy guitar lines in amongst the otherwise grim and bleak sound of this track.
Barren Lands is a slow burning track that gathers pace and intensity, quickly shifting gears from a funereal, almost dirge-like pace through to blistering speeds, all within the first couple of minutes. Vocally, this is an extremely emotive track, with the lyrics being delivered with a level of piss and venom that imbues this particular song with plenty of its highlights. Tight, buzzsaw guitar chords and precise, expert drumming only adds to the songs overall appeal and ferocity. The third track on the record, Raging Hellfire, opens with a great bass line and genuinely visceral sounding lead guitar motifs, which at times brings to mind World Funeral era MARDUK, and yet more juggernaut drumming that helps to act as a driving force throughout this exemplary piece of blackened death metal.
Venom In Exalt is an incredibly murky, brooding track, at least to begin with; the track proper is an exercise in frenetic, at times almost hypnotic drumming, down-paced, muscular guitars and hellish, impassioned vocals that, combined, raise the standard of musicianship to even loftier heights than the already stellar performances heard on the preceding offerings. The Will features some of the most razor sharp, hair raising guitar hooks on the whole record, which sail over the cacophonous machine gun patter of the drums and opppressively dark vocals, jumping between the sort of blistering melodicisim you would expect from a black metal track to much more jarring and eerie sections, which makes this song all the more intriguing, maintaining a vice like grip on the listeners attention until the final notes have died down.
Non Serviam begins on a much more sublime note, with a crisp, clean guitar tone. This song proves to be one of the stand out offerings on the record, coupling all of the intensity and power of its predecessors with the aforementioned softer, less aggressive tone, which helps to distinguish Non Serviam as one of the album’s many high points. Light of Compassion takes the music back down a much more primal route, with lots of really solid, catchy rhythmic guitar hooks punctuated by tight, powerful drumming. Although riffs and melody are used more sparingly on this song, the points when they are called upon fit perfectly with the overall feel of the track, matching the dark, bestial approach of the song with frenzied solos and dense, dissonant lead guitar sections.
The album’s penultimate track, Into the Mouth of Kaos, certainly lives up to its title, with a chaotic, raucous approach being adopted for most of the track, played at such a maddened, frenzied pace that at times, it feels as though it’s on the brink of falling apart at any moment. It has a strong, aggressive black metal sound, and has some of the most acerbic, dense guitar and drum tracks on the whole record. It proves to be a great way to bring this album to its brilliant, climactic moments, prior to the ninth and final track, A Breath. When compared with the song that came before it, it’s akin to comparing night and day. This is a track that has some great, ethereal guitars that lock in well with the drums and give the song a strong Celtic sound, blended with some rabid death metal vocals. It’s evocative of bands like PRIMORDIAL, and genuinely stands out from the rest of the record, slowly building from a whisper to an epic and grand sounding roar. It helps end the record on a high note, leaving you wanting more.
As we stated at the beginning of this review, good things come to those who are patient enough to wait. This is definitely one of those cases; Damnatio Memoriae is an album that showcases KAOTEON at their creative peak, putting out what is easily their best and most impressive material to date. Every aspect of the music, from the musicianship to the production, is great, and is sure to please both their old and new fans alike. It’s also blatantly clear that the seven year span between records hasn’t affected their ability to produce skilfully written and exceptional music. If KAOTEON haven’t crossed your radar yet, take note; this is an early contender for black metal album of the year, and is worth checking out.
Rating: 9/10
Damnatio Memoriae is out now via self-release.
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