Khold is currently on hiatus, which sucks. However, the music that was recorded for “Krek” shows the band at a slightly happier time. The fury in which the band drenches their compositions on “Krek” is something new for most metal fans, as the band during tracks like “Blod Og Blek” uses a very sludgy sound to get their point across. Khold thus comes forward with a new hybrid of metal that is simultaneously very accessible while still being gut-wrenchingly intense.
It is the culmination of a style that has been worked on by lighter acts such as Corrosion of Conformity and Fu Manchu as well as more metal acts like Pantera, and brother, is it great. The band can even insert the bass guitar into a major role during tracks (such as “Innestengt”) and not sound as if the band is just trying to cop the thunder from acts like Primus or To My Surpise. At all points, the band feels fresh and new; the music that is on “Krek” is something that was formed only from Khold’s minds, instead of strategic marketing. The disc is very short and fast; the entirety of these ten tracks only makes it to the thirty-four minute mark. The good thing about this is that the replay value of the disc is high. The confidence exerted by Khold on tracks like “Oskorei” will be endearing to any fan of metal. This is not a blind throwing-together of elements but rather something much more focused and ready to rend. When the band stretches out a composition, as is the case with tracks like the aforementioned “Oskorei”, there is a much higher potential for the track to falter.
However, the band knows what they are doing and can use these higher levels of repetition completely to their advantage. Khold may be taking some time off as we speak, but their albums are still blueprints for what individuals should be doing in the metal genre. Each track on “Krek” is perfectly polished like a pebble in a tumbler; while the band may never make it onto Headbanger’s Ball, those that are into great metal should search out their local CD stores for this disc and add it to their collections immediately. “Krek” is the album that, if I had a car, I would be bumping at the highest levels; full of fury and nuance, Khold blends all influences and styles to come up with something delightful and new.
Top Tracks: Byrde, Oskorei
Rating: 7.3/10
Khold – Krek / 2006 Candlelight / 10 Tracks / http://www.khold.com / http://www.candlelightrecordsamerica.com / Reviewed 10 August 2006
[JMcQ]