"The Malkuth Grimoire" is one of my most anticipated albums of 2015. Why? The band Alkaloid consists of 3/4 of Obscura, or what WAS Obscura, along with Noneuclid vocalist/guitarist Morean plus guitarist Danny Tunker. For me this is a true progressive metal supergroup. The last Obscura album was amazing and I loved the last Noneuclid album too. So my expectation for "The Malkuth Grimoire" were very high! I can safely say that the album exceeds my lofty expectations and
then some.
First off, the band are amazing players and in this brand new band they are allowed to stretch out even more than in the other bands they were a part of. The first track "Carbon Phrases" sets the tone by being heavy yet also quite atmospheric at the same time. I love this song. "From a Hadron Machinist" continues that vibe but also shows that the members still are tech metalheads too. This song really combines the various shapes and colors that the band are capable of. "Cthulhu" slows things down and I mean in a nice, slow, nasty way. It has a very heavy, punishing riff.
"Alter Magnitudes" is the other end of the spectrum in that it is the speed metal track, if you will. It's still heavy of course and it shows just how tight the former Obscura bandmates (Christian Münzner, Hannes Grossmann and Linus Klausenitzer) can be. "Orgonism" highlights the vocals of Morean who really can do anything from a death growl to a very deep vocal like on this track. You can almost hear his vocal chords vibrating!
The four part "Dyson Sphere" is next and the first two parts are actually
reminiscent of The Police in a way. Granted a very, very, very HEAVY version but Grossmann really channels the great Stuart Copeland with sparse yet tasteful playing. The second part of this piece does have an almost reggae vibe to it. Things get back to more brutal with the title track and the album closes with an epic (as an album should!) in the track "Funeral For a Continent."
There's not a weak moment to be found on "The Malkuth Grimoire." Musically, melodically and certainly from a playing standpoint, this album is brilliant. If you were a fan of the last Obscura album "Omnivium" or Blotted Science, which Grossmann is a part of, Alkaloid is a must for you. While the band is definitely progressive, I think fans of any style of metal will enjoy this album. A major label needs to release "The Malkuth Grimoire." It deserves to be heard by all metalheads!
