Nuclear Blast Americ
2008
Kolossus
About This Album
Preposterous as the concept of "commercial" black metal may seem, Norway's Keep of Kalessin have come to epitomize just that, as they've steadily discarded their more savage tendencies on each sequential release leading up to their fourth full album, 2008's Kolossus. Even more so than its already quite refined predecessor, Armada, Kolossus is characterized by crystal clear production, aggressive but disciplined performances, and unflinching (if hardly outlandish) stylistic deviation from the genre's more conservative trappings -- all this without mentioning the quartet's corpse-makeup-free, Elven good looks. Oops, we mentioned it. Anyway, since KoK was never the most stable of bands, it's also notable that ever-present guitarist Obsidian Claw finally managed to retain the same lineup for the three-year span between these two albums, and the fluidity of Kolossus' material shows they've really had a chance to gel as a recording unit because of it. This material ranges in length and variety to take in both straightforward numbers like "A New Empire's Birth" and "Ascendant," and elaborate excursions into compound moods and tempos like "Against the Gods" and "Escape the Union.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5 and 6)

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Disc 2

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