Dimensional Bleedthrough

Krallice, Part II

     

In the past year, Krallice have become one of my favorite bands. Something about them - their energy, their sheer virtuosity (thanks to Mick Barr and Colin Marston), their impossible to decipher song structures that somehow make sense when all combined into one. Their debut eponymous CD had barely a flaw, the only complaint I have in that a few of the songs dragged out way too damn long (Molec Codices, Forgiveness in Rot). Of course you're gonna get this - it's a black metal album for God's sake! But the good outweighed the bad in so many regards. 'Energy Chasms' still plays in my head all the time. I saw them live last year in San Francisco, one of the best shows I've ever been to. Now here we are a year later, with Dimensional Bleedthrough. I had such high expectations preceding the album - I listened to the title track at least a few times a day. Were my expectations met? Well, you could say so. In terms of overall songwriting and listenability, I prefer the first album. But that's not to say this album is total crap, no far from it. The songs I'm sittin' on right now are still the title track (comparable to Energy Chasms for me anyway), and the finisher 'Monolith of Possession'. Does that mean the body of the album is just filler? Definitely not. It's great to hear Nick McMaster's vocals on 'Autochton' - he has some damn fine death metal shouts. The beginning of 'Aridity' makes me feel like I'm floating out in space somewhere, like listening to a Hawkwind album or something. 'Untitled' confuses me a bit..I swear to God it sounds off something a Wolves in the Throne Room album. But My God, 'Monolith' just slaughters everything in its path!! The immense 18-minute buildup, then the end almost gave me a heart attack the first time I heard it. Basically, I recommend this album if you worshipped the first album as much as I did. Or if you just like to listen to music that makes you sit and wonder for days and months after, give this a spin.