Review Summary: Once more we ride...
Ever since their debut, 2015's
Absolution, Khemmis have been one of the premier acts in the doom metal sphere. That debut and the sophomore 2016's
Hunted were modern Doom epics punctuated by lengthy, winding songs, heavy crushing riffs, and cleanly sung hooks that stuck in your ear. Comparisons to other modern Doom greats such as Pallbearer were quickly drawn. Their following 2 albums, 2018's
Desolation and 2021's
Deceiver however streamlined the Epic Doom approach in favour of more straight forwardly enjoyable traditional heavy metal. Still fun releases, the riffs were still riffing, the choruses still catchy, but the songwriting and approach had been simplified and made more digestible, losing some scale and grandiosity in the process. The ceiling for how high they could soar had been lowered.
I give this context because coming into this release, Khemmis are at a vital point in their career. Many bands at this stage could easily be written off as early peakers then drift into obscurity. A self-titled album title and songs written about 'the love of metal' (usually a sign of creative juices running dry) raised a few red flags, but thankfully the Denver foursome's 5th effort delivers.
Make no mistake, this is not quite a return to the glory of the first 2 albums, and Khemmis have not made any major moves to change their approach. But through shear talent and quality of their performances, the boys pull out another modern piece of Medieval Battle Metal that is a blast to listen to.
The main ingredients of what have made Khemmis such a fun band are all present, and bolstered by incremental gains. The clean vocals are as epic as they have ever been, conveying the right amount of melancholy and triumph as the occasion calls for it. These epic cleans are complimented by badass, killer death metal vocals on numbers like
'Corpsebloom Garden',
'Grief's Reverie', and barnburner
'Carrion King'.
'Carrion King' is the heaviest track here and demonstrates how Khemmis can now crib from an even wider metal palette seamlessly, as it starts with a brutal, black metal-inspired opening and ends with a crushing doom outtro, all while feeling cohesive. The occasional swerves too far into the power metal octane are quickly made up for by the added level of aggression present on most tracks.
The riffs, solos and overall guitar work is as strong as ever, with the interplay on the hot opener
'Invocation Of The Dreamer' and galloping rhythms on
'Beneath The Scythe' helping make these two of the standout tracks.
'Beneath The Scythe' also has one of Khemmis's best and most epic choruses to date. Similarly, closer
'Benediction Tones' go full Epic Doom with a chorus that soars to see the album out.
Throughout the album Khemmis deliver a riff-driven mix of epic doom and traditional heavy metal that is forlon one minute and blood pumping the next. It's the kind of *** that will make you want to pick up a sword and go LARPing.
Any speak of Khemmis losing their doom credentials should be soundly put to bed here. Whilst not on the level of first 2 releases, their talent, songwriting, and leaning into what makes this breed of metal fun, ensures they continue to be one of the premier bands in the genre.
SCORE: ★★★3/4
HIGHLIGHTS: Invocation Of The Dreamer, Beneath The Scythe, Carrion King, Benediction Tones
FFO: Pallbearer, Crypt Sermon, Candlemass
