Review: KforKill – The World Is Broken

I’ve hung onto this album for a little while now to really let it sink in and I found a treasury of unhindered energy, untamed aggression and undeniable groove in parts. Their brand of gut wrenching death metal has finally spewed itself into the physical form, ready for its release on February 10th. What can you expect from this? Something that surprised me was the balance of structure and unpredictability. This vein of music usually seems to stick to one of these schools of thought but KforKill have blended it in a way that can only be put down to skilled songwriting. A good measure of doom breakdowns (spoiler: midway through “Whiskey and Cocaine” is righteous!) add a cutting edge, what else can I say without giving the low-down!

After a brief introduction in “Living” and the surprisingly melodic yet pulverising “In Paradise”, “What Doesn’t Kill You” kicks down the doors and defies anything in its way. An absolute powerhouse of a rhythm section provides the perfect backdrop for Fillip Hartman to lay everything to waste to with his visceral vocals. This is a killer track that any album would be lucky to have, however this comes as a double edged sword as this sets the bar and tone for the rest of the record. Lead single; “Halo Of Paleness” follows with some more skull crushing which everyone’s got to get a little bit of here and there. It definitely feels as though “What Doesn’t Kill You” should get the spotlight as the lead single. It is by far the strongest track and serves as the focal point of the whole record as a statement of intent, a big song that makes itself known.

“I’m Death” is a crunchy, percussive body-mover which will incite pits across the land indefinitely. An absolute pleasure to listen to with its evil weaving guitars lathering the finest drumming on the album. “Die On Your Knees” and “All Hail The Dead” follow which seem to me like the perfect triple knockout in terms of consistency, sheer visceral punches and complexity. “Die On Your Knees” has a breakdown midway which is reminiscent of early 90s grindcore and it could certainly stand up to such material, whilst “All Hail The Dead” draws back the pace but ups the ante even further with its guitar work and impossible vocal tones which is making my throat sore just listening to it. Despite the differences between the songs they are all linked through a recurring theme on this album; intention, a statement of raw brutality.

As the album progresses I feel the songs prove themselves more and more. “Whiskey & Cocaine” just goes above and beyond as the most memorable, probably as it is a lot more minimalist than the other tracks. This has the mother of all doom breakdowns which is a total bludgeoner. It is concise, gets the job done and leaves a lasting impression. The hilariously titled “Fetus The Holy Cyst” which I personally think should be their Eddie, is explosive both vocally and instrumentally. I had a great time playing this at an unfriendly volume waiting for people to ask what the song was called – much to their distress. Whilst not a wholly original idea to take a swipe at religion it is something these bands have become expected to do and they do it well with their own flair.

Following those two “Alpha I” projects the sincerity and propulsion that the record is all about although vocally it stands out drastically with a clean voice preaching dark and imaginative imagery. In a really weird way this actually adds to the creep factor as it is a lot more relatable without the animalistic, guttural vocal oriented songs that thrash in your face. This is a bit more real and a bit more human, adding incredibly to the depth of the record and takes it above a standard death album. This leads in nicely to album closer “Alpha II” which is the complete flip side, bringing back punishing vocals, great grooves and breakneck speed yet ending on a grinding snails-pace. Another highlight of this record and an epic ending to a spectacular debut LP.

The World Is Broken is a very strong and very consistent body of work which matches up to many heavyweight contemporaries taking on a demented ethos of its own. Its ability to deliver the punches at a blinding pace or fragment skulls under a grinding weight of sincere brutality has been proven. Since their conception in 2012, they have created something really exciting. It feels like the last five years have led to this point, all the effort has been compressed into this record, overloaded with personality. It would be a great shame to see it go under the radar so don’t let it happen. Watch these guys, they’ve got it going on.

The World Is Broken is out on February 10th

KforKill:  facebook | spotify | soundcloud | youtube

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