Review: Kaleidobolt - The Zenith Cracks

A year ago, almost to the day, I reviewed the debut album from Kaleidobolt and what a scorcher it was. I think my exact words were "These guys have taken some well-worn highways through rock history and produced an album that is vibrant, exciting and cliche-free" (you can read the whole review here). July sees the release of the follow up 'The Zenith Cracks' and it's even better! Again, put out by the fab Pink Tank Records it takes the debut as a starting point and builds on it, resulting in an album of class and musicianship of the highest order.

'Off The Cuff' gets things going...and what a way to do it! It has some truly superb heavy psych guitar work from Sampo Kääriäinen that shreds the speakers at a riotous pace ably accompanied by some crashing drums. It is just over 2 minutes of glorious riffage. 'Murderous Ways' takes us back to the seventies with it's sub-Sabbath riffs, hard and heavy, dropping in and out of proceedings. It all harks back to the classic proto-metal of Lord Baltimore etc. 'The Crux' sees the band veer off into more stoner territory, driven by an irresistible bass line and fuzzy guitar and vocals that are assertive without being too strident. 'Inbred' opens with some drums that sound almost martial and grows into another scorcher, more doom based than the preceding tracks with heavy riffs at a stately pace, alternating with gentler sections of vocals and crystal clear guitar. It is well constructed track that can switch without sounding clumsy or forced...a testament to the nous of these guys. 'Helle' threw me on first listen....flamenco style guitar that sounded like it was going to break into 'The Girl From Ipanema' at any time....a lounge based curiosity that acts as a short (under 2 minutes) respite from the riffage, and allows the listener to gird their loins for the oncoming storm that is 'Steal My Thunder' - another track rooted in classic seventies rock with some more ace shredding from Kääriäinen...hard, heavy and classy. 'City Of The Sun' is another track rooted in proto-doom, with some slow and heavy riffs providing the background for some impassioned vocals that again transport the listener right back to the seventies...there's even a drum solo from Valtteri Lindholm as the track nears it climax. 'Spoil' is the last, and the longest, track and for me the standout. An epic ten minutes full of top class guitar work, bruising riffs and crashing drums that flows nicely between the hard n' heavy and the more pastoral, gentle sections that bely both the heaviness that has preceded and the glorious riot of guitar that closes the track.

It would be tempting to say that Kaleidobolt were born 45 years too late, indeed had this album been released in the early seventies it would now be held up as a classic. But they are of the here and now....the ambitious song structures and the sheer heaviness in places make it a contemporary release, but a classic nonetheless. These guys exude class from every pore...as anyone who caught their set at Desertfest recently would attest and only seem to be getting better. 'The Zenith Cracks' will be released by Pink Tank on 1st July, limited to a pressing of 1000 (100 zenith blue wax, 500 zenith turquoise wax and 400 black wax) but pre-orders go live at mid-night tonight (CET)...get in quick!!