Like everything else of human endeavour, musical trends are cyclical. Scenes rise and fall, sounds diversify and influences cross pollinate. Sooner or later though, we realise that we’re listening to the same thing as those guys with the thinning ponytails and not-washed-since-the-80’s patch jackets were when they were 17. Everything is doomed to repeat itself, but with the constancy of heavy metal being one of its great features, is this really a bad thing?
The United Kingdom in 2012 is going through a joyful revival of old school doom. Bands like The Wounded Kings, Serpent Venom, Black Magician and Grimpen Mire are all active, producing astonishing material and performing regularly across the country, it’s a genuinely exciting time for anyone with a penchant for sabbatic, folk-inspired doom metal.
Enter Kroh then to add another idiom to this growing, dark lexicon. Feturing Paul Kenney of Birmingham aural-terrorists Fukpig and Francis Anthony providing a distinct and surprisingly emotive vocal, Kroh’s eponymous debut is a pleasingly individualistic take on British doom.
From start to finish, there’s a rock and roll vibe resonating throughout which really pushes things along. Sounding less traditional than others, there’s a similar feel to the excellent Year of the Goat in the way that 70’s evocation is achieved while still retaining a contemporary sound. The combination of retro and current adds a great deal of charm and warmth and gives a huge, instant-likeability factor that serves as a massive hook. When a record succeeds in drawing you in from the first note, it always a positive sign and absolute credit to Kroh that they then manage to more than deliver on this initial promise.
As the record progress, quality is absolutely maintained. Each track delivers a different narrative, all while building into a single cohesive whole. There’s no question of any filler and each song has clearly been planned and executed well with good heed paid to the overarching vision.
It’s a great time to be a doom fan, and if quality like this can be consistently maintained, 2012 promises great things. Kroh’s debut is available now on their band camp page, and immediate listening is well advised.
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