Kraken Duumvirate are self-described as an experimental black metal band and so my mind went towards something a little more intransigent than what was to be presented herein. As a matter of fact, if there's anything “experimental” going on here it is more like compositional noodling than experimentation in form per se. Their simple organisational approach of short, (sometimes almost staccato-like) musical phrases based around reverbed, tinny sounding guitar-led motifs that keep repeating monotonously and languidly over a prominent stagnancy of rhythmical changes is, for the most part, not particularly effective in this case - I wouldn’t be too quick in lumping the band with the usual depressive black metal pile however. Although this EP’s production bears the customary haze, sans the penetrating wall of treble-noise, and the characteristically moody twang, taken en bloc it’s more evocative of oceanic, deep blue vistas than anything else; so no suffocating “soundtrack to your own suicide” or anything to that effect I’m afraid oh, disgruntled youth.
There is a further stringed instrument (cello?), which although aptly chosen for otherwise imposing atmospheres, unfortunately doesn't add to an already enervated musical texture. And so it turns out after a couple of minutes into this EP, that the emotional flatness that ensues from this phlegmatic set-up only makes it that much harder for the -by now- frustrated listener to gain a thoroughly gratifying experience from it. However their abstract, hypnotic symbolism although poorly reflected in style is nevertheless quite appealing; the problem is that the musical fuselage is devoid of the requisite thrust and so it remains grounded as a rather unimpressive take-off towards atmospheric black metal territory.
(originally written for Tartarean Desire - 6/3/2008)
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