I had the distinct pleasure of
seeing this band at the recent Migration Fest. Out of all the fantastic
bands and performances over a three day period of time, their set was an
absolute highlight of the weekend for me. The only thing that topped it was Panopticon
doing their first ever live set, so there's no shame in finishing second this
time around. I was really struck by how Khemmis put together an awesome
set, and by their self-assurance on stage. They knew exactly what they wanted
to do and they laid it on us. In their stage presence, they reminded me of
seeing Mastodon back in the day. Mastodon's early music is hardly
accessible, but just watching them on stage you knew they were going to be big.
I had the same feeling watching Khemmis blow the roof off during their set.
Keep an eye on these guys. This new album is fantastic and I think it will lift
them to a whole new level.
“Hunted” comes out not much more
than a year after their debut release which took the doom world by storm. They
went from a band hardly known outside of their home area of Denver to a household name, at least in
households that are cool and listen to doom. Do not mistake these guys for a
straight up doom band though. There is a lot of traditional metal in what they
do. If you are a fan of good ol' NWOBHM twin guitar harmonies, these guys will
do the trick for you. They do clean vocals mostly but use the growly, grunty
stuff to good effect at times. They play plenty of slow, doomy stuff, but they
also have some passages and songs that put me in mind a little of Three
Inches Of Blood. This band can gallop and rampage with the best when they
want to.
The songs are longer on this one
and the band uses those extended run times to show off some compositional chops, as well as some
ripping guitar leads, and honestly some downright beautiful passages. There are
moments in the epic title track, which closes out the album, that just give me
chills. The clean vocals are amazing and singer Phil Pendergast has a nice
range that perfectly fits what the band are doing. I've said this before, but
music should move the listener, it should evoke emotions and memories and take
the listener someplace they haven't been before. Khemmis does this in spades on
this album.
“Beyond The Door” is my favorite
track on the album. It moves seamlessly through different styles and it is a
great song. Definitely grounded in doom, yet there are gorgeous acoustic
moments, stretches that lean right up to the edge of black metal, and sublime
melodies. The song manages to feel somber yet uplifting and I want to listen to
it over and over. Just great stuff from a band that is just getting warmed up.
I listen to enough albums to
know that gems like this one do not come along very often. Head over to the 20
Buck Spin website and put in a pre-order for this one in your format of
choice. This one will find its way into many top ten lists for 2016 and I'm
sure it may even hit the top spot in some. Whatever accolades are received are
justly and rightly given. Get on this one friends.
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