Release
date: February 05th
2016. Label: Bonten Records. Format: CD/DD
Cryptozoology
– Tracklisting
1.
Return To The Planet (Performed by Kelly Churko and Hiroshi Hasegawa
from Astro)
2.
King Of The Flies
3.
Prophet
4.
2020
5.
Garadama
6.
Birmingham Queen (cover of Mountain’s "Mississippi Queen")
7.
Pilgrim
Band
Members:
Naoto
"ARAKING" Araki : Vocal, Drums
Marcy
: Guitar
Hidetoshi
"emara3" Ehara : Bass, Vocal
Review:
Having
initially started out as a grind/death band, Tokyo's King Goblin
started to incorporate different influences on their self titled
debut album and do more of the same to a greater degree on their
brilliant new album Crypytozoology. From warped psychedelic wig outs
to full on Brutal Truth or Repulsion style grind and warped surf
guitar to out there progressive passages and death n roll blasts,
it's all mixed up and churned out in the bands own unique style and
has to be heard to be believed.
Crushing
doom riffs collide with blast-beats and deathly growled vocals one
minute but before you get used to this a classic stoner guitar riff
rings out, totally taking you by surprise and if ever there was an
album for the phrase "expect the unexpected" it's this one.
The one thing that is to be expected is that the musicianship
throughout the album is outstanding as is the heaviness that crashes
through the album.
Highlights
on Cryptozoology are plentiful, including the utterly insane opening
track Return To The Planet, the Swansong era Carcass groove of
Garadama (complete with Jeff Walker style growls), a song complete
with some utter guitar craziness unleashed throughout the song, the
epic and massively heavy Prophet, a song that reminded me of The
Melvins from the get go, the mid paced and creeping grind of 2020
that sounds like Entombed jamming with King Crimson and Mastodon for
part of the song but halfway through morphs into a gargatuan wall of
riff led noise and a cover of Mountains Mississippi Queen that is
retitled Birmingham Queen and is a faithful recreation but with the
added bonus of some King Goblin twists and turns in there.
There
has been a nine year wait from when the band released their debut
album but it has been worth the wait and if you want a fix of some
out there and forward thinking heavy music that doesn't stick to any
formal musical conventions then you shouldn't delay in seeking out
Cryptozoology, you won't regret it as this is a band doing exactly
what they want to do. Music this unhinged doesn't come along that
often and should be wholeheartedly embraced.
Words
by Gavin Brown
Thanks
to Takamasa at Bonten Records for the promo.
Links:
