Whoa. Yes. Yes, yes. Hi everyone. Fatthony Bustano here, the Internet's busiest music nerd, and it's time for a review of this new Krallice album, Inorganic Rites.

Yes, here we have the newest full length LP from prolific, long running, boundary pushing New York experimental metal outfit Krallice. After all of these years, the band is still masterminded by Colin Marston, Mick Barr, Lev Weinstein and Nick McMaster, which is crazy to think, because since the band started in 2008 2007, theyve undergone the kinds of stylistic changes that you usually get when a metal group has had about a dozen lineup changes.

The first leg of Krallice discography, though, was pretty focused, dedicated almost solely to taking black metal music to experimental and progressive new heights, and you could say the band fully achieved that while also reaching an artistic peak as well when they released 2012's Years Past Matter. But since then, Krallice has more or less decided that black metal music will no longer be like the sole stylistic focus of the band.

At the time when the band started, I think it made more sense for their sound to be a bit more narrow, as american black metal was really having a moment in the late 2000's and early 2010's. And Krallice most definitely contributed to that wave in their own unique way. But with the band's black metal mission more or less accomplished, as well as the trendy wave they rode in on cresting, combined with the fact that Krallice had slowly become one of the biggest bands any of these individuals had been involved in at the time.

Subsequent records from Years Past Matter began to explore different genre combinations beyond just prog and black metal, bringing in elements of technical death metal of space, ambient, dark ambient, post metal, and avant garde metal too. It's now to the point where Krallice's body of work is beginning to look like the wide net of metal styles all of these guys individually have been involved in over the years, which in a way makes Inorganic Rites one of the most epic culmination of sounds in the Krallice discography yet.

On this LP, black metal most certainly still serves as a major point of inspiration, especially considering the grim, twisted chord progressions, the blast beats, as well as slightly lofi and spacey ambiance surrounding these tracks. But many of the riffs and progressions throughout this album are very much pulled out of the prog metal playbook, with a lot lot of emphasis on synthesizers this time around.

While this is most certainly not the first time the band has incorporated synths onto a record, I'll say previous attempts didn't really blow me away all that much, or maybe came across a bit awkward. Not so much the case on Inorganic Rites. I would actually say the synth layers and passages that are added to a lot of the bass lines of drum guitar. They're actually kind of epic and borderline orchestral at points, and add up to a lot of massive and thrilling changes across some of these very lengthy tracks.

Krallice is working in some pretty unique synth patches for metal music on of these cuts too, as the synth parts on these tracks can come across kind of abrasive or involve weird types of oscillation where tones and one-shots and noises will sort of be revving up or ramping down. This record is also an hour in length and features ten tracks that vary pretty greatly in length and intensity, and really come together into an experience that is greater than the sum of its parts.

The opening track is a very solid kickoff for the record, featuring lots of eerie and icy synthesizers that fill up the background. It has the unsettling and occult vibes that you want out of a black metal track. The drums and proggy guitar parts are definitely coming from a different place stylistically, with the synths that I mentioned earlier progressively sounding more and more like something out of an eighties horror movie soundtrack. It all creates this vibe that's actually pretty cinematic, given just how raw the recording is. The final crescendo of the track hits a lot harder than you might expect, given just how rough some of the sounds are.

This is all even more so the case for the following track. "Flatlines Encircled Residue", which is a ten-minute monster. The band compositionally is really embracing some theatrics on this one, with droning analog synth bass notes, and primal drum beats. The whole thing sounds like being slowly pulled down into the deepest depths of hell. But miraculously, in the final leg of the track, and reminding you this is a long one. The vocals and synth layers all kind of resolve in a way that's sort of bright and hopeful. And it's really cool to hear Krallice not only playing with different instrumental palettes, but moods as well with their music.

The following "Irdischen", though, is much shorter and packs a very intense punch. There are some insane start-stop, complex riff and drum passages all over this track that are eventually topped with these buzzing, harsh synth shots that sound like electronic horns glitching out. The whole thing has this progression to it that strikes a great balance between being engaging. It's fast, it's intense, but simultaneously not so dizzying and trying to wank itself off that it's a chore to follow.

What's also great is that we get a nice tight segue into the following track "Here Forever", which is one of the biggest riff fests and barn burners on the entire record. With more mathematical riffs and rhythms. Complemented with theatrical synth chords that pull the whole thing together and bring some cohesion and sanity to the entire picture.

Meanwhile, "Feel Time Begin" pushes the drum and bass chemistry even further with even more soundtrack-worthy synth work. I will say about this one, however, it's not my favorite cut in the bunch, as it doesn't really feature the strongest structure and progression. Nor does it carry the momentum it builds up into the next song, "Faustian Bargain". And it sort of seems like there would be great potential for that, considering how explosive the kickoff for that one is. The intensity definitely picks back up on that track. We're also working with a roughly similar instrumental palette to some of the initial tracks on the record, but the performance on this one still kicks ass. Plus those prickly synth noises, the way they kind of rhythmically sync up with the riffs in the second half, it's pretty fire

With "Universe Ancestral Talisman" we have another big boy in the track list, another ten minute one. And believe me when I say it is a smooth, grand, and very spacey and textured ten minutes with righteous chord changes. Plucky 80s-style guitars that have a nice shimmer on them. It's a patient but gratifying odyssey that's honestly a really good breather in the midst of this very winding and intense album. But even if it is a little low key in comparison with some other parts here, it doesn't kill the momentum at all.

We head back into grim territory on "Death by Misadventure". But I kind of feel like where this track lands and the lack of many memorable riffs on it. Kind of makes it feel sort of overshadowed a bit, as it's not a very big, exciting payoff for the previous track. And on top of it, it's just right before the longest cut on the record. The 13-minute "Fatestorm Sanctuary". And believe me when I say the band justifies every minute of that runtime. Really pulls out all the stops for some of the most epic and intense prog synth metal passages you're gonna hear all year. Love the hellish organs that cover most of the track, too.

Miraculously, with the last song on the record, the band really could have eased up. I think and thrown out a track that would be a very kind of chill, spacey, credits roll type moment. But instead they decide to go out with a bandaid and are just firing on all cylinders with maybe the fastest and most intense performance on the entire record. Even some shreddy guitar solos make their way into the mix that sound absolutely incredible and with a lot of pounding riffs and drums, the band gives us a hyper aggressive send off for again, what is a very epic, sweet type prog metal, progressive electronic synth, black metal experience.

This is the most cohesive and grandiose offering that Kralis has given us in quite a long time. Overall I walked away from this one super impressed and feel like the band really kind of outdid themselves this time around, which is why I'm feeling a light to decent 8 on this one.

Anthony Fantano, Krallice, forever.