Release
date: September 22nd 2017. Label: Self Released. Format: DD
KALI
YUGA – Tracklisting
1. Blood Moon
2. Slave to Senses
3. Free Choice
4. Ethisfidi
5. Ourboros
6. Black Magic
Carpet Ride
7. I, Undying
Members
Zack Mangold -
Drums, Vocals
Eric Bluebaum -
Vocals, Bass
Angus Burkhart -
Guitar, Vocals
Review
Sometimes in life you need an excuse
to lose yourself in a barrage of heavy riffs. Mainly to just get away
from the troubles of the modern world. That's why I'm thankful for
being sent to Maharaja's debut album - Kali Yuga to review. Though I
was expecting a different kind of album based on the name of the band
and the album title itself.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear
the opening riffs of the first track - Blood Moon, as Maharaja play
music that feels inspired by High On Fire at times. Though with a
more bombastic punk/doom style approach. Blood Moon is quite
progressive and psychedelic in parts but it allows Maharaja to set
the scene and tone of the whole album very early on. The album
doesn't change direction from the opening track. As the album follows
a very simple path and that is fine with me. The album does veer into
Red Fang style Stoner Metal territory at times but at a much louder
and ferocious pace.
Second track - Slave To Senses - has
a very sinister and distorted approach with the sludge/punk growls
adding a more hardcore punk style delivery with the vocals. The song
has elements of early-era High On Fire riffs running throughout.
Maharaja add a more subtle and psychedelic effect that allows the
album to flow and play naturally.
The next three songs on the album -
Free Choice, Ethisfidi and Ourobros - sees the band explore their
distorted heavy sludge/stoner sound by adding heavier elements of
hardcore punk and doomier riffs. The lyrics have quite a deranged and
playful feel to them as well. The vocals are a mixture of hardcore
clean vocals that soon move onto the more "cookie-cutter"
aka death style growls. Ouroboros is definitely the standout song on
the whole album. As it contains the heaviest moments on the album.
The final two songs on the album -
Black Magic Carpet Ride and I, Undying - carries on the bleak tone
and atmospherics from Ouroboros with the band playing a more exciting
style of progressive sludge/stoner metal. Musically speaking, Kali
Yuga is quite a complex and progressive album to listen to. It may
take you a few listens to fully realise this but Maharaja do add
elements of eastern based sounds to their music with intriguing
lyrics to match. Kali Yuga sounds fantastic from the start and that's
perhaps down to the excellent production held within the album.
My final thoughts are that Kali Yuga
is a brilliantly entertaining and brutally heavy slice of Progressive
Sludge/Stoner Metal.
Words by Steve
Howe
Thanks to Dewar PR for
the promo. Kali Yuga will be available to buy from September 22nd
2017.
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