Whether you want to call them deathcore, progressive metal, or something else entirely, North Carolina progressive death metal act Krosis have quite a bit going for them. Musical chops, for one, and a willingness to innovate and blur genre lines as well. Given how stale and hackneyed deathcore and technical death metal can often be, Solem Vatem is likely to be one of the better extreme metal records of 2018.
Tracks like “Void Fracture” have little, but distinct, parts that come out of left-field. For instance, that song has a neat little lead opening that segues into a punishing breakdown. The album, while it approaches an hour run time, doesn’t necessarily feel like too much – though the album could use a slight bit of fat trimmed. Still, Solem Vatem is a solid opening act for a band that’s just getting started. Their willingness to experiment with electronics and melodic leads isn’t too far away from established bands like Fallujah, Born Of Osiris, and even The Black Crown Initiate – all respected bands who have put out at least one highly-regarded record, if not more.
We’re remiss to necessarily give this album a rating, but it’s a great start to their career. Krosis should firmly plant themselves on your radar.
