Zatokrev “Bury the Ashes” CD

"Bury the Ashes" is the sophomore full-length from Swiss act Zatokrev (released by Firebox), and much like their debut unloads seven lengthy tracks in an absolutely mammoth 73 minutes. They've since added a second guitarist as well, building additional density and texture into their thick, pounding rhythms with just the right amount of subtly sludgy undercurrents by accentuating the amount of twisted dissonance and melodic attributes that are layered amongst the churning power chords and wandering basslines. Three of the band members contribute vocals as well, so the strained midrange sneers of the lead vocals (which are pretty damn cool on their own) are occasionally joined by lower grunts or distant howls and wails. They still seem to be compared to Neurosis and such on many occasions, but I must say that I'm hearing far fewer similarities between the two these days beyond superficial characteristics such as being "really heavy" or having "long songs". Zatokrev's style of songwriting is more linear, for one thing, and these pulsing arrangements—especially with their increased levels of forcefully melodic tinges—create a hypnotic kind of niche that really grabs my attention, and in many ways communicates a more direct sense of feeling that I can latch onto. There are variances in atmosphere, of course, what with several breaks of throbbing distorted bass or softer, spacious "clean" passages (they usually retain at least a little bit of grit regardless), but the material never lacks cohesion. When tracks occasionally range from 10 to 18 minutes your patience will always be tested, but Zatokrev basically pulls it off without a hitch herein. They really do a nice job of mashing together a lot of different influences into a consistent core, and the fact that they simply write some great fuckin' riffs certainly doesn't hurt! Well done...

Zatokrev "Starlight Leader"

As always, support the band and the label with a purchase if you like what you hear:

The End Records