Hailing from Colorado, Khemmis are a melodic doom band who have worked hard to build a steady following over the course of two albums, the second of which (2016’s ‘Hunted’) polled number 11 in Rolling Stone’s 20 best metal albums of 2016 and placed first in Decibel magazine’s Top 40 albums of 2016. Such lavish praise caught the attention of Nuclear Blast, a label with a finely attuned ear for such things and, in July last year, the band announced that they had signed on the dotted line for their third album, ‘Desolation’. Featuring a mere six tracks, albeit six tracks that, between them, clock up an impressive forty-minute run time, ‘desolation’ draws on the stately melancholia of paradise Lost and, for good measure, throws in progressive elements to create songs of compelling weight and flow.
Opening track ‘bloodletting’ is a perfect introduction to the band if you’ve not caught up with them to this point. With towering vocals, deftly harmonised and rich layers of guitars, the band draws upon the wide heritage of metal to deliver a truly satisfying musical feast that successfully carves out an atmosphere of torrid decay whilst simultaneously dealing enough punishing riffs to set the adrenalin flowing. It’s a phenomenal introduction, and yet it pales in comparison to the Maiden-esque ‘Isolation’ (the album’s lead single), which deals out harmonised leads, galloping rhythms and some truly epic vocal melodies. Where many would be content to simply copy their influences, adding little that is new to the template, Khemmis draw upon numerous familiar reference points whilst adding their own, unique flourish and then wrap the whole thing up in a production so sumptuous and so muscular that the listener cannot help but be drawn in. After two such epic tracks, the band take things to the next level with the monstrous ‘flesh to nothing’. Kicking off with a serpentine groove, the band guide the listener through the dark landscapes of their imagination, the vocals providing the staff to which the listener can cling as they negotiate the pummelling riffs, towering percussion and, as the track edges toward its conclusion, sweet, acoustic passages. Rich in imagination and musicianship, it is a remarkable piece of music and one to which you’ll find yourself returning time and again.
Arguably the most traditionally doom track on offer, ‘The Seer’ deals in minor-key harmonies, huge, arcing riffs and dense percussion, coming across somewhat like Alice in Chains and My Dying Bride covering Sabbath. At six minutes, it’s one of the shorter tracks, but such is the depth and detail with which the band imbue their songs that it feels half that. Little, however, prepares the listener for the frantic ‘Maw of time’, a crushingly metallic track that edges into territory hitherto reserved for katatonia alone, although the judicious use of harsh vocals adds a keen edge to the piece. With soaring solos and mammoth riffs, ‘maw of time’ is another album highlight, leaving only the gargantuan work out ‘from ruin’ to close the record. Just shy of ten minutes, it is a darkly elegant conclusion to an album unafraid to take the slow, measured path. Once again, the band run with their influences, always allowing the song to flow and grow naturally and the result is a piece of music, near-symphonic in nature, that sweeps across its influences with grace and power. It is the perfect conclusion to a perfect album, and it will leave you only with the desire to hit play once more.
In an age of instant gratification, Khemmis offer up music that deftly manages to satisfy both the adrenalin junkies and those seeking longevity, and there’s no question that the album’s myriad charms will continue to be the subject of debate for some time to come. Whilst familiar reference points abound, none detract from the overall feeling that khemmis have placed their own mark on the genre and with, with its gorgeous production, ‘Desolation’ looks set to earn the band many more plaudits at the conclusion of 2018. An essential addition to the doom cannon, ‘desolation’ is a flawless work rich in emotion and imagination. 10
