KAAMOS - Lucifer Rising (IMPERIUM Productions - LP 2006)
Kaamos!!!! Hell yeah, this band was truly
awesome motherfuckin’ Swedish death metal outfit, which was playing some of the
most killer and obscure sounds you may imagine. After the stunning demo and
even better debut full length album I was really expecting a lot from the
second LP, when Candlelight Records announced its release back in 2005. Seven
years later I still think of the band and this album as something truly unique
and must admit that Kaamos was one of the brightest (or rather darkest) stars
of the death metal underground of the previous decade. But meanwhile I swapped
the CD version for the lovely gatefold LP, which – just like “Kaamos” – was
released by Imperium Productions. Both vinyls look really alike, to be honest,
with the same kind of layout and everything else (both are gatefolds, both have
posters, etc). Anyway, this LP is great addition to my collection and I’m
really glad to have it, also in very mint condition.
When I listen to “Lucifer Rising” nowadays,
knowing also that Kaamos has split up, I can say that this really was a unique
band. It may sound almost unbelievable, but I think they’ve managed to create
their own style and capture the essence of the ancient death metal in
exceptional way. You know, not every band, which takes the influences from the
glorious past and its legendary bands can be able to play something own. In
case of Kaamos I can honestly say that once I hear first riff or vocals of the
opening song – “Black Revelation” – I know immediately that this is Kaamos, not
something else. Already for that this band deserves honours and praise!
Of course having your own style is not enough
if you’re not able to compose killer songs and catch the attention with awesome
riffs and the proper atmosphere. And “Lucifer Rising” again managed to fulfil all
my expectations, releasing an album, which is even better than the already
blasting debut LP. There’s no fuckin around on “Lucifer Rising”, just pure and
old styled death metal from the start till the very finish. Kaamos do not torment
us with useless melodies or with boring constant blasting, they just play what
is necessary, banging the head and throwing the fists in maniacal frenzy. And
they make sure that we, the listeners, do exactly the same. The riffing and
song structures on “Lucifer Rising” are all pretty simple and very much based
on the old school kind of playing – and here I must mention the band called
Unleashed, which I think has influenced Kaamos more than the others. I just
feel like I was listening to some songs from “Where No Life Dwells” or “Shadows
in the Deep”, speaking of some rhythms, dynamics of this music and the kind of
riffing, which Kaamos plays. Another band, or album, which may have been a
massive source of influence for “Lucifer Rising” is “You’ll Never See” – the
second spawn of Grave. Anyway, despite the similarities to these two legends,
Kaamos is unique as I said in the beginning and was able to create their own
sound.
I really like the way Kaamos composed their
songs, the song structures are always very interesting and riffs never dull.
The songs are properly diverse and they may have a focus on more mid paced
playing, but occasionally they will also attack you with some blasting fury and
drum cannonade, as well as with even more doomy parts – but that doesn’t happen
often, although I must admit that the instrumental track, which finishes the
LP, titled “Ascent”, is just a superb piece of doomy death metal and definitely
belongs to my favourite parts of the whole album. But if I was to mention the
best tracks then I would also mention “Inaugurating Evil”, which belongs to the
slower tracks and which also ends with this sort of doomy riff, which I love.
Then “Theriomorphic Pandemonium” is also truly awesome and its catchy chorus
will be screamed by you once you hear it for the first time. From the other
hand there may happen slightly less inspiring moments on the album as well, as in
few occasions I have a feeling like Kaamos started to swallow their own tail
and circle too much around similar type of playing, but that’s just a minor
feeling, nothing major and definitely it doesn’t have a negative influence on the
listening of “Lucifer Rising”.
Standout tracks: “Inaugurating Evil”, “Theriomorphic
Pandemonium”, “Ascent”, “Gnostic”, “Lucifer Rising”
Final rate: 85/100
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