The year MCLXXX (1180 AD) was the first recorded instance of a sighting of the colossus of the deep – the Kraken. This imposing cephalopod which rules the deep has captivated humanity for centuries and many worship it… And rightly so, I wouldn’t want to offend the giant tentacle monster, I’ve watched enough Anime to know what happens when tentacles are involved! Moving on quickly from that segue, King Kraken are an imposing doom an groove metal outfit who are set to unleash their debut full length, ‘MCLXXX’ on the world. Like the mighty beast from the deep, King Kraken are big and they have a sound which could easily rend anything in their path asunder. Here be monsters, proceed with caution.
“Devils Night” gets things going with a seriously heavy and groove loaded attack. The pounding low end and tight riffing with the solid drums gives a great rhythmic backbone for the doom inspired groove to run wild. Great use of subtle tempo shifts between the verse and chorus sections help things flow and the middle section stripping one guitar away to act as a sinister melodic lead over a half time feel beat ramps up the heaviness before a ripping solo kicks things back to normal before an ending run which brings back the sinister flourish to end things on a high. “Bastard Liar” is a faster and angrier number. Nimble riffs with a raw vocal delivery which is loaded with scorn spit fire in the verses and the angry shouts in the chorus are fuelled by a slow down of the pacing, giving it a little more impact. The ripping lead section has a great trade off spot where the guitar licks feed off each other over an even faster paced section and you can hear the doom, groove and metal influences all blending together to get the right balance and the pounding heavy outro just caps it nicely.
“Green Terror” is just loaded with groove. With Clutch-esque vocals and a solid rhythmic hook, this track will easily have heads nodding and banging along in approval. The bass is rather hefty, booming out to give the guitars the extra weight needed in the rhythm parts and when the licks start to get twisty, the bass follows them with ease, just adding to the melodic hook and overall groove. Blazing rock and bluesy solos scream out with plenty of power and the whole thing just oozes style when you listen to it. Keeping with the Clutch inspired sound, “Veins” is a track which you could at first mistake for a Clutch number in my opinion. Whilst you can tell it’s not Neil Fallon on vocals, the delivery is pretty close to the same style he is renowned for and the rest of the instrumental delivery has a similar vibe. It’s close enough to emulate Clutch but it’s not quite emulating the groove rock legends to a perfect degree. The bouncy groove and attitude loaded licks and riffs are great fun and no doubt about it, when this one drops in a live setting everyone will have a blast!
“Haddonfield 78” marks the halfway point on the album. It marks a return to the more pounding and heavy sound combining sledgehammer like smashes of low-end driven chords with a sleazy groove in the chorus to give some movement to the flow of the track similar to the later years of Pantera, minus the incoherent vocals of course, King Kraken’s vocal bellows are pretty clear cut and powerful! The highlight of the track is the massive middle section; a thundering bassline springs forwards, buzzing with energy and building things up before it explodes to life with a powerful chug section which just smashes through everything in its way, laying the foundations for the blistering guitar lead to scream out over it. It’s a fantastic spot in the track and shows how simply shifting momentum and adding some tension can help a track explode to life. “Man Made Monster” is just a straight up riff-fest. Groovy as hell, tight rhythmically and driven by some solid bass and drums, the track is just loaded with power. Big vocal shouts, flashy guitar fills and attitude loaded riffs, it’s just a sweet-sounding groove metal track for the most part. The pace does slow down round the middle of the track, leading to some good bass/guitar melodic work to give a big sound without the pummelling riffs, letting things transition into a solo section which starts off steady paced before it bursts to life once more, bringing back the riffs and groove.
“Walls Of Jericho” is just a straight up pounding monster. Big shouts, big bass and thundering drums drive things on like an army coming in to siege the walls. Steady paced, it relentlessly hammers away with precision, briefly pausing here and there almost like siege engines being put in place before a mammoth shout brings a full-on onslaught of riffs crashing down. With some slick lead work adding a touch of flair, the hammering resumes and you can guarantee plenty of sore necks after this track is unleashed live. “Proctors Ledge” slows things down with a slight southern twang to the sound. Hints of Down and COC are mixed in, giving it that subtle sludge edge but it’s still a solid groove metal offering. With the bluesy undercurrent in the verse riff which lingers and comes in a 1-2 call and response format, the laid back edge runs strong and the powerful chord work in the choruses gives it that kick for a bigger sound. Subtle bass fills and turn rounds add that extra dimension to the sound and on the halfway point, things get faster and more intense. The tight rapid riffing sets up for a piercing lead melody and big vocal roar before a tasty bass lick unleashes a style packed guitar solo over the up-tempo groove. It all falls together nicely and the groove comes back to wrap the track up.
“Chaos Engine” is the penultimate track and the high-octane riff groove is back once again. Surging forwards with its frantic energy, this track is straight to the point. It has some Orange Goblin styled vibes and that is never a bad thing! Loaded with pure rock fury and a heavy groove, it just crushes all in its path. Not much else to say really, this track simply rocks! Closing the album, “Castle Of Bone” has a more moderate pacing to it. Heavy groove with a flair-laden intro, the track shifts to the verse with its commanding vocals and pounding delivery. Subtle tempo and timing shifts help the chorus pop out a little, giving some space for the vocals and guitars to ring out a little before the track coils up again for the tight and precise grooves of the verses. Once again, for the last time on the album, the track shifts focus round the middle of the track. Shifting to a more imposing sounding riff, it gets a heavier edge as a wild, wah-soaked solo screams out over it before it begins to ascend in sound, dropping back into that familiar initial groove run once more before taking a darker and heavier edge for the final minute of the track – slowing things down, some wailing guitars and sustained chords to add that extra edge to the sound before fading out to wrap the release up.
In all, “MCLXXX” is a great debut album from a band who know how to deliver the goods. The sheer weight of the sound and drive of the riff and groove is a joy to listen to and King Kraken are just as monstrous as their mighty namesake! If you like your rock, doom and groove, then join the cult and worship the master of the deep.
(8/10 Fraggle)
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