Kaamos - Kaamos

KAAMOS - Kaamos (IMPERIUM Productions - LP 2002)

Every time I start to listen to this record, I always have only great memories about it. Kaamos in many ways is a special band to me, as they’re one of the first acts, which I featured in my old fanzine called Panzerfaust. I remember how excited I was when I got their “Curse of Aeons” demo way back in 2001 and did an interview with Konstantin for the same first issue. Oh, good old times, which still seem like it was yesterday, especially that when I listen to the music of Kaamos it didn’t get boring or whatever and despite the passing time, it still kicks ass seriously. Hell yeah, “Kaamos” is the debut album from those Swedish zombies and since we just passed on the tenth anniversary of its recording there’s no better time than to exhume this record and get slain by it once more.

And “Kaamos” truly slays. The opening track is obviously the best one in Kaamos’ short career, “Corpus Vermis” has possessing force and awesome riffing throughout, including the catchy and easily memorable chorus part, with which I guess you’ll scream the line of the lyrics. Right from the first seconds it’s obvious also that Kaamos is heavily infected by the old Swedish death metal bands and the likes of Unleashed (early), Entombed (early of corpse!!!!!!!) and Grave, but when going through the next songs also such acts as Sadistic Intent, Autopsy, Soulburn / Asphyx and early Death can pop up in your mind. Especially I tend to think of the works of Unleashed when listening to “Kaamos” as Kaamos has similar style of playing, if you think of how the rhythm section plays for instance and what the atmosphere on this album is. Luckily Kaamos avoids being a blind copycat, as their music contains much more ferocity, aggression and fast paces plus much more dynamics than Unleashed have ever had in their albums. You may be surprised how often those Swedes play in fast tempo, speeding up like an alcoholic in a car, running away from the police. And often they bring certain catchiness to their songs, making sure that they’ll all be memorable and deadly as hell. Side A of the vinyl has such killer anthems as “Corpus Vermis” and “The Storm of Coming” plus absolutely furious “Khem”. It also has a surprising introduction in “Doom of Men”, but I’ll leave that to you to hear what this is about. Anyway, “Doom of Men” itself is an incredible track, much slower comparing it to the previous ones, but that only makes it the heaviest song on the whole album and surely one of my favourites.

Side B of the LP (which by the way comes as a nice gatefold, with huge poster) has just four tracks, but that include another favourite of mine, which is “Curse of Aeons” from the demo. Then “Cries of the Damned” is another slower song, which evokes the creepy horror atmosphere in truly great way. Anyway, Kaamos fantastically embodied the old style of death metal and made so in the times, when this sort of playing wasn’t as popular as it is nowadays. Respect! Each of the nine songs, which have been recorded on “Kaamos” is an instant headbanger, each will welcome you with the finest, shredding riffs and thus I can assure you this is a damn brilliant album. It’s been a decade since Kaamos has spawned it and it still crushes, the more pity is that Kaamos is no more and that the album seems to be somehow underrated.

Final rate: 85/100