KING KRAKEN – MCLXXX

What a lovely and most welcome surprise this infinitely heavy and thunderous metal opus by the brilliant UK outfit King Kraken is. If Black Sabbath, Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity, and early Soundgarden all had a jam together, it would sound somewhere along the lines of MLCXXX, which is obviously a seriously huge compliment. Another thing that is seriously huge is the crushing sound of this album, and the weight and substance of the riffs are not your usual metal fare – it goes beyond that. Something about this quintet intrigues and captivates me, which is partly down to the quality of the songwriting but also the fierce attack of the songs as well as their groove and emotional pull. Yeah, I love this stuff! 

Things are kept interesting at all times, the pace varies, the band sounds as focused and confident as can be, and I am having a hard time believing that this musical triumph is their debut record. The rhythm section is so tight and well-oiled that it is borderline uncanny, and everyone involved in this memorable endeavor delivers a passionate and determined performance. When it comes to highlights, I am going to go with the pounding albeit varied and dynamic ‘Walls of Jericho‘, but ‘Green Terror‘ and ‘Man Made Monster‘ are right up there with the best of them too. A proper heavy metal juggernaut with depth to it is what this is, so make sure you check it out as the disc contains several killer tunes that are more than capable of frying your brain. One can only hope that several future gigs and tours are in the works.