Krallice - Mass Cathexis Review

Yet another day goes by where my jealousy of Colin Marston's work ethic grows exponentially. Aside from who we are discussing today, Marston just this year has released two albums as his progressive ambient solo moniker Indricothere, another with technical gods Behold The Arctopus, as well as two more releases from new projects: the enigmatic one-piece Xazraug, and supergroup Rejoice! The Light Has Come, both of which take a new spin on the avant-garde extreme metal that the man seems to gravitate towards. This is in addition to the recording or production credits on new outputs from Afterbirth, Chepang, ESP Mayhem, Feral, Geryon, Gigafauna, Houkago Grind Time, Pyrrhon, Reeking Aura, Scáth na Déithe, Thætas, Tómarúm, Wayfarer, Defeated Sanity, Imperial Triumphant, and SVTNH, the last three of which he appeared on as a guest. Needless to say, Marston is clearly an extremely malleable workaholic, and 2020 has been a massive year for him in terms of productivity. But all of a sudden, a surprise Krallice album drops. With such a high bar for the artist to uphold, and with such a force of musicianship behind them, Mass Cathexis needed to be talked about.

For those maybe uninitiated, Krallice is today's band to beat in terms of a perfect blend of masterful songwriting, technical musicianship, avant-garde sensibilities, and infinite relistenability. I was introduced with Loüm and Go Be Forgotten in 2017 and have been riding the hype train ever since. The band's sound is basically a meld of modern Gorguts and any atmospheric black metal band but done perfectly. Their discography is as consistent as any other of their contemporaries, and Mass Cathexis is another solid addition to that roster. With an aural likeness to Loüm (ie, a more intricate, less straightforward black metal approach ala most of the band's back catalog), it draws much more from technical death and post-metal, with a heavier emphasis on atmosphere and texture, while retaining complexity. Similar to Marston projects like Dysrhythmia and Behold The Arctopus, it results in a more mellow but jarring listen.

Their trademark density is not lifted, however, as the instruments weave in between each other, dancing about in the forefront only to jump back to the recesses of the mix. The weight of the production as a whole does conflict with the entwining leads, and it can be hard to keep track of everything that is going on. To some this may be enticing, myself included, but it is worth mentioning if you are unfamiliar with the style. Yet, every track on here really highlights Marston's production, with each part clearly heard in the mix at an even level, with a perfect EQ on every drum hit, bass thump, or guitar note played. It's truly marvelous and shows no flaws in this regard. With a much more rhythmic approach to classic Krallice, this album experiments a lot, even for the group. The title track dips its riff-heavy feet into hardcore punk and powerviolence on the back leg of the song, shocking the listener with an onslaught of noise akin to early-era Nails, while "The Form" broods on a doom metal riff while guitar wankery and blistering drum work exudes a dizzying haze over the entire track. Don't fret, however, as cuts like "Feed On The Blood of Rats" and single "The Wheel" scratch the festering black metal itch that originally drove me to love this band. My biggest critique would probably be that the instrumental closer, "All and Nothing," which is nearly the longest cut on the album, doesn't add much to the release as a whole. It is a nice vibe to end off the project, but I prefer things to go out with a bang.

It is difficult to really evaluate this album at this point. There is so much going on, and even after nearly ten listens, I still pick up on intricacies that I haven't heard before. Is this one of the best albums of the year? I cannot say yet, but the music truly speaks for itself, like it always has with this group. Krallice is a tour de force, adding yet another trophy to their already decorated hall of achievements. If you don't like this band or Colin Marston's previous work, you aren't going to enjoy this. This New York four-piece is the best musical modeling clay sculptor in the world; While they have been using the same piece of earth, again and again, they continue to come up with original and inventive designs regardless of what shape it takes. Mass Cathexis is just another one of these examples and deserves to be regarded as highly as the rest of their material.

Final Verdict: 'I complete the circle'

Favorite Tracks: "Feed On The Blood of Rats," "Mass Cathexis," "The Wheel"

FFO: Anything Colin Marston has released, Serpent Column?

Track List:

1. "Feed On The Blood of Rats"

2. "Set"

3. "The Wheel"

4. "Aspherance"

5. "The Myth"

6. "Mass Cathexis"

7. "The Form"

8. "The Formed"

9. "All and Nothing"

You can support Krallice on their Bandcamp.