KRALLICE released Scour Order, the latest entry in a weighty discography, on September 18th. It comes from a band this reviewer had yet to sample. I will start off by stating that I did no historical research on previous works and decided to come into the project blind. This may color the review in unknown ways. Perhaps it allows for a much-needed fresh perspective, or perhaps longtime fans will simply throw out the opinion of a KRALLICE newb. Either way would be acceptable.
Having never listened before, I had some immediate impressions before pressing play: "What is this cover art? Is it a tank top? Eight songs with a runtime of an hour and three minutes could be good, could be painful. And finally, damn, I like the name KRALLICE." After pressing play, I must admit I feared I was entering the world of a metallic, tangy slogfest. The opening passages hit with an unrelenting wall of abrasive sound, heavy on dense repetition and droning rhythms that continue throughout the album, albeit with some progressive changes in pacing and time signatures. With each song's runtime on the longer side, it quickly began to feel more like an exercise in patience than an enjoyable experience.
Thankfully, the album was not as rough as I feared, and it even grew on me slightly as I dove further into the runtime, with patience rewarded by small stretches of reprieve. It is an atmospheric offering, leaning into those aforementioned progressive shifts in time signature and into artistic swings that are sometimes confusing, sometimes courageous. Ultimately, this album struggles even in its moments of brilliance, due to the overall flatness of the record's sound and production combined with a droning quality that feels similar throughout, even when more is going on beneath the surface. For those who enjoy the previous records, this might be a natural progression or a return to form. To this KRALLICE novice, it is not worth revisiting.
TL;DR: Math Drones Drone On. 6/10
KRALLICE - Scour Order (full album stream):
Promo provided by Earsplit PR and Profound Lore Records.