Khashm – Thy Legions Come
You may remember the Khashm interview from back in May. Well, after being sidetracked by a mountain of stuff to review, I tracked them down again to see what’s new. A four track EP (an intro and three songs) is what you can get. I’m not sure if you can buy a hard copy yet because I couldn’t find them anywhere but you can now download it from Forces of Satan Records’ mp3 store for a few of your hard earned monies.
Black Metal has been beefing itself up recently. Loads of bands have opted for a heavier, less emaciated sound. While the latter more traditional style will always remain my favourite I really enjoy the amalgamation of Black and Death Metal production. That underground old Death Metal demo sound can add alot of evil atmosphere when done right and alongside its Black Metal counterpart.
The intro is a two minute electronic affair that sounds like the music from the credits screen of a computer game! However, once the first proper track opens up you’ll forgive it or forget it. The sound is clear and crisp but meaty as fuck in the fashion I describe above and after the initial section the guitars blast into a riff of some quality mid-paced Black ‘n’ Roll. It took me totally off guard with its bulky, catchy stamping. This is a sedated Black Metal version of The Incredible Hulk! The song mixes up the rocky part with a more orthodox Black Metal style and speed.
As if the ground opens up beneath Hoath and sends him plummeting into purgatory, ‘Diabolus Absconditus’ begins. We’re treated to a hard and punishing battering for the first minute, consisting of a really hefty riff and drums. The chorus slows the pace down in a nasty mix of chords and cold picking and then leads off into a doom like passage which seems the perfect route to take. Using the two styles in conjunction to great effect like this is interesting to hear and it works well.
The title track chugs along with a similar venom and features a more layered sound with picked guitars. It’s a bit of a disturbing track as it slows down and the guitar echoes eerily, and the chorus of freaky vocals makes you feel like you are tripping out on too many Black Metal mushrooms! Again it really works well – a lot of dark thought has gone into the arrangement and build of it. It ends with a doom-style riff, slowing down through the gears.
The production here is superb for an underground recording and really compliments the sound making the whole thing gleam with a sheen of malice. The only bad thing about Thy Legions Come is that it doesn’t last long enough. That’s a good move though because it leaves you wanting to hear more.
This EP wasn’t really what I was expecting but it’s good when a band keeps you guessing. Who knows what a full-length Khashm album will be like but if this is anything to go by it will be a very credible slice of nastiness.
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