Kalas - s/t
CD. 10e.
Prior to hearing their self titled debut, having Matt Pike (High on Fire, Sleep) sing for Kalas struck me as akin to hiring a master chef to build a deck on your house. But then I heard it, and while there’s still no getting around the fact that he will always be known as “Matt Pike, Kick Ass Guitarist” and not “Matt Pike, Vocalist Extraordinaire,” he does an admirable job. His gravely, throaty roar is more expressive than on the High on Fire albums, matching the moody and epic feel to songs. There’s a quiet, grim intensity to Kalas’ strain of metal, even when the band is at its loudest and fastest. With two guitarists, there’s more room for melody that makes for some stellar guitar playing. Kalas’ debut is nine songs of brooding war metal, thunderous and solemn, and well worth your time.
