Kelevra – Oneiric
Kelevra – Oneiric
Self-Released
Release Date: 01/03/24
Running Time: 45:29
Review by Oli Gonzalez
8/10
The struggles bands go through to produce music and the challenges they overcome can be incredible. The strain it puts on finances, friendships, and relationships is telling. Some struggle to even coordinate the busy lives of several adults to just meet in a practice room together! In the case of Kelevra though, the struggles they’ve overcome goes to another level. Especially given that one member had to overcome an incredibly rare medical condition that eventually required a heart transplant to survive is as inspiring as it is incredible! Now, a decade into their existence, they are on the eve of their latest release, “Oneiric”, being described as a ‘Progressive Metal journey from beginning to end’, and ‘for fans of Chimaira, Unearth, In Flames’ – basically bands I grew up admiring- had me salivating at the prospect of getting my hands on a band that could offer up a similar sound to that of my heroes. Would my expectations be met? Let’s see.
Upon listening to ‘Atoned’, the resemblance to Chimaira is undeniable! This is achieved through a fusion of spine-chilling synths lurking in the mix, guitars and bass locking in for some bone crushing riffs, and a primitive vocal performance reminiscent of the great Mark Hunter himself! With songs dealing with grief, revenge and other hard hitting topics, vocalist Matt is able to deliver a suitably emotional performance for this. These are all compositional themes and ideas that would remain as a mainstay in the band’s sound for the duration of this album.
As for ‘Cleanse With Fire’, I’m not sure if there could be a more appropriate song title! The ambient and more stripped back passage in the section is soothing and aesthetic. This is designed to lead you into a false sense of security, then, have your face melted and scorched by a blistering onslaught from the band, in a passage that is as heavy as it is intense! My soul had been cleansed by this fire indeed.
The momentum shows no sign of slowing down, with a more melodic attack in ‘No Voice’ similar to that of Parkway Drive during their “Deep Blue” phase. Led by some scorching lead guitars and the continuing theme of ambient mid-sections, this is a winning combination for me and any other fan of melodic metalcore.
Another highlight for me was that gorgeous atmospheric soundscape that opened ‘Self-Extinct’. That definitely got a few rewinds! Though if that’s aesthetic, ‘The Mad Wind’ is anything but, as there’s nothing pretty about this song, just primitive rage!
Sadly however, I think that the album was losing momentum, and compositional ideas were beginning to feel a little recycled at this point. Which is a shame after such a promising start. Maybe the whole album would have worked better as just a shorter EP, perhaps 6 songs? In addition, I did fear that the production values were a little too industrious and rough around the edges, and not really as sharp and crisp as the genre typically dictates.
Nonetheless, this is a solid effort and a brave attempt at reliving some of those early 00s metalcore vibes.
So, when release day comes, I’m sure you can find the effort to check this album out, considering the hardship and efforts the band have made to make it happen!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Atoned
02. Cleanse With Fire
03. No Voice
04. The Distance
05. Self-Extinct
06. The Mad Wind
07. Despite What You Owe
08. Lifeblood
LINE-UP:
Dylan Dobrescu – Drums
Brett Forst – Guitar
Matt Fraser – Vocals
Adrienne Mahoney – Bass
Mat Yarotski – Guitar
LINKS:
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