Kozoria – The Source
Kozoria – The Source
Black Lion Records
Release Date: 11/11/2024
Running Time: 47:10
Review by Beth Morait
9.5/10
One of the finest moments of this year for so many Metalheads was seeing Gojira perform at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. It seemed to bridge a void between Metal and the rest of the world, if only for a moment. People suddenly discovered something new and epic that they’d been avoiding for years, simple because of preconceived ideas about a music genre. And all the Metalheads reacted by basically saying ‘Well… we did tell you, but you wouldn’t listen.’ while smirking knowingly to themselves!
France seems to develop a lot of really good Progressive Metal. And the subject of today’s review definitely falls into that category. “The Source” is Kozoria’s debut album. But, with a sound that’s a cross between the mighty Gojira, and the equally mighty Devin Townsend, topped off with some Death and Thrash, I get a sneaky suspicion it won’t be their last.
The album starts at a pace, with the aptly titled ‘Pandora’s Box’. Straight away, it sets the tone. It’s edgy and spiky with machine gun drumming and riffing, and a vocal line that mixes clean singing with a hint of the Death growls that are yet to come. Then the band throws a curveball in, with ‘Demonise Them’ and ‘Leviathan,’ full of beautiful soaring melodies, set to anthemic instrumentation. The latter is the more mainstream crowd pleaser of the album for sure, although we do get some of the Death growls hinted at in the first track.
The band have mastered the expansiveness of Devin in a lot of their sound, too. Tracks like ‘Division’ and ‘Reborn’ show this off nicely. And by this point in the album, we’re also getting more Death Metal vocals. But it’s still really melodic, and every song produces a memorable chorus that you can sing along to.
Production wise, this is a very well mixed and mastered album that’s been handled with care to bring out each instrument, and each style in a way that highlights the right things at the right time.
The album concludes with a nearly 9-minute-long behemoth of a track, which gives the album its name. It’s an absolutely stunning work that encompasses all of the music themes and devices that we’ve heard throughout the album. So, all in all, this is an incredibly strong album to make a debut with.
‘Reborn’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Pandora’s Box
02. Demonize Them
03. Leviathan
04. Division
05. Dawn
06. Reborn
07. We’re Wolves
08. Fading Embers
09. The Source
LINE-UP:
Julien PERDEREAU –Guitar / Vocals
Kevin DELCOURT – Lead Guitar
Bertrand JANICOT – Bass Guitar
Pierre GELINOTTE – Drums
LINKS:
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