Hailing from Madeira Island, Portugal, Karnak Seti are a melodic death metal act the first thing about whom that you notice is the stunning artwork that adorns their CD (courtesy of Ana Gomes). Formed in 2001 the band have had plenty of time to hone their skills and develop their sound, the latest example of which is ‘In harmonic entropy’, a nine track exploration of the band’s brutal sound.
Building out of forty seconds of static, ‘long gone shadow’ opens the album in fine style, recalling the melodic might of In Flames and Soilwork with its glistening, electronic-enhanced sheen and deeply embedded melodic sensibilities. Heavier than In Flames have been of late, but still with the gloriously hook-laden choruses, it is clear that Karnak Seti have their sights set clearly on world domination, and with a beefy sound and crystal clear production job you can imagine that it may well be within their grasp. Nothing here is left to chance – it is obvious that every song has been carefully constructed and developed for maximum impact whilst Luis Erre boasts the perfect voice for this sort of thing as he is able to handle a suitably guttural style and a cleaner, more tuneful rasp with aplomb without resorting to the weak chorus vocals of Killswitch engage and their ilk. ‘Only red mist descends’ is a fast paced run through brutal territory, the band laying down a rock solid foundation over which Luis roars out his proclamations. It is devastatingly heavy – perfect music to get the adrenalin flowing – but the melodies are never ignored or undermined by the power of the music and Karnak Seti have struck the perfect balance between aggression and subtlety, the spacious production allowing plenty of room for stately solos to add depth to the composition whilst still making you want to bang your head until your neck snaps. ‘Loss’ is heavier still and Luis Barreto is surely more machine than man given the metronomic manner in which he unleashes his pile-driving rhythms, whilst a sudden time-shift takes everyone by surprise and leaves you wondering how much practice the band have put in to be quite so monstrously tight.
‘Among the sleepless’ treads familiar melodic death territory, the sound fitting right in with the ubiquitous Gothenburg sound, all frenetic guitar attack and maxed-out vocals only to subvert it by heading into darker, deathly territories on a chorus that boasts both bright, clean vocals and an unholy gurgle that would not sound out of place on a Cannibal Corpse record. It’s an incongruous pairing, but it works well and offers a different perspective on the traditionally melodic chorus. ‘Golden age of downfalls’ has a dark, catchy groove to it, the rampaging double-kick drum assault leading into the track a mesmerising blast that has you caught, rabbit-in-the-headlights style directly in front of the oncoming onslaught. It’s frighteningly catchy but also the most traditionally melodic death metal track here, the band offering few surprises here, although they play with such ferocity that it hardly matters. ‘Luctor et emergo’ does little to slow the pace, the riffs firing out relentlessly, although the band do through in a couple of curveballs in the form of time signature switches that keep you guessing, whilst Luis’ vocals once again dominate the track, his phenomenal delivery brutal in the extreme whilst fluid leads showcase the fact that guitarists Antonio Jesus and Reno Ramos are no slouches when it comes to their instrument.
Following such a blistering workout, Karnak Seti slow the pace a touch with the mid-tempo ‘stranded by existence’ utilising skittering electronic embellishments and crushing power chords to deliver its misanthropic message. It’s one of several stand-out tracks and it showcases the band’s desire to push the boundaries of a relatively narrow genre over the course of the album with its epic length and multiple stylistic changes. ‘Figureless icons’ follows its epic predecessor with a complex beat and stair-stepping riff before stepping off into pure technical death territory and then closing track ‘Collateral dreams’ brings the all-too-brief album to a close on another high, the band clearly adhering to the much-used, oft-ignored mantra of ‘quality over quantity’ as they slam into the track with all the force and impact of a high-velocity rifle shell.
Overall ‘in harmonic entropy’ is a fine example of its genre. Whilst rarely breaking new ground, the band showcase a desire to develop upon and augment the all-too-familiar Gothenburg sound which they have chosen as their starting point and they often succeed in crafting memorable, brutal songs that will thrill fans of complex, precise metal possessed of at least a cursory familiarity with melody. Throughout the album the band demonstrate formidable skills both as musicians and songwriters and with stunning artwork and devastating production the overall package is an appealing one indeed. Whilst this will not change your mind if you are not convinced by the melodic death metal sound, it certainly is a strong contender to join the ranks of the genre’s finest albums. A solid, brutal, memorable effort.
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