EP REVIEW: Resilienz – Karg

In the final minutes of Lorazepam, named after the benzodiazepine drug used to treat acute anxiety, KARG lets rip into a glorious, euphoric chorus. Clean vocals back the gravelly shouts from J.J. and the melodies build until the track comes to a close. It’s an incredible piece of song-writing and indicative of what KARG is about, finding some level of peace within the chaos. Like the titular drug, the end of Lorazepam alleviates some of the tension that has come before.

As a side project to HARIKARI IN THE SKY and lurking around the same genres, it would be easy for KARG to an outlet for rejected ideas and recycled riffs. Instead, it has been incredibly successful and prolific, with this two-track EP coming hot on the heels of the excellent album Traktat.

Abbitte [Atonement] is a complex composition. Layering first wave black metal riffs and kick-drumming over piano melodies and hints of electronica. J.J. places the emphasis on his lyrics, dealing with the breakup of a relationship, his shouts swerve from aggressive to tortured. In the same way, the music constantly shifts over the fourteen-minute runtime. Keys cut through in intervals and midway, the distortion is wiped from the guitars, leaning into post-rock territory. At the climax, the melody takes the lead again. It’s accomplished storytelling. The music working with the vocals to eliminate the language barrier.

Lorazepam sheds much of the black metal touchstones, in favour of technical guitar work. The melancholic vibe stays relayed through the vocals again, but the backing carries a new level of melody. Themes of addiction, the nothingness that sometimes comes with self-medication, J.J. writes his music to represent all this.

The moments of aggression falls away, but the peaceful sections are just as fleeting. It’s often challenging, never giving the listener a sure footing, but put together so confidently that you cannot help but be drawn in. As an exercise in catharsis, it is often painful but carries a beautiful through-line which keeps you engaged until the end.

As it builds to that euphoric chorus, Lorazepam showcases each aspect of J.J.’s musicianship. Hardly faltering no matter what he puts his hand too, the craftsmanship is stellar throughout. There are moments that could be cut. A feeling that the EP could have been thirty, or even 25 minutes and still carried the same weight. Then again, when the music is so personal, who would dare suggest that KARG hold back?

Rating: 8/10

Resilienz is out now via AOP Records.

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