Kylesa - Static Tensions

Destroying CD players, iPods and venues since 2001, quintet Kylesa are back with their fourth full length album, the follow up to 2006’s Time Will Fuse Its Worth. This was the first album with the stable Kylesa lineup after the tragic death of singer and bassist Brian Duke and drummer Baltzley who suddenly left the band. This resulted in not only replacing the drummer but adding a second drummer as well.

The replacement is one of the few downsides the new album has though. The drummers play in almost every track the same sessions which results in some clashing drum parts that can drive you pretty crazy, like at the end of the opening track 'Scapegoat'. But on the other hand, it’s something that makes Kylesa stand out from the rest of the huge arsenal of sludge bands and an interesting addition for their stage performance which you can check out on their upcoming European tour with Torche.

Something else that makes this album stand out are the singing parts. Both Corey, Philip and Laura sing and scream on this album, something that was already used on the previous album. Combining the two drummers and diverse singing duties, Static Tensions is a heavy hitting sludge record that kind of reminds me of old Isis (pre-Celestial) smoking less weed and being more pissed off. There are less melodic parts and there is more space for every instrument on the album, leaving the crusty noise parts out at exactly the right times but still keeping the intensity.

A perfect example is my personal favorite from the album 'Said And Done' starting of with a devastating atmospheric sludge part, giving the track some rest in the middle, where the drumming part really stands out and finally ending with an intense blast beat galore. If bands like Mastodon, Torche, Baroness and (old) Isis are your cup of tea, I am sure you want to take a sip of this as well.