Krang- Sounds of Death LP review

Krang- Sounds of Death LP review

“Black Standards” starts off with a moody, lengthy intro, before kicking into a crusty black speed metal punk kind of sound.  Unlike the band’s old incarnation, Expendable Youth, this band/ record is largely apolitical, focusing instead on the occult- a much wiser choice on their part, as stereotypical left-wing political rhetoric has long grown dull for me.  As a song, this one bored me.  However, “Sounds of Death” makes up for it a little, since it’s kind of catchy and crusty-sounding.  This is a crusty’s drinking song, and for good reason- it’s good, not just musically, but technically as well.  The level of talent in this band is simultaneously surprising and welcoming.  It is at the beginning of the track “The Earth Was Blue, But There Was No God” that I’ve realized that this is a phenomenal mixing job- all the instruments and vocals are equally audible.  This really helps the songs sound a lot more crisp.  Even for the songs I might not otherwise like, a great mixing job can make a mediocre song sound good, and a good song great.  The song itself here was good, too.  Not a standout, but good.  “The Unbearable Weight of Knowing” sounds like a crust punk band playing a song after learning how to play their instruments.  Yes, it IS a good thing- this record gets better and better with each passing listen.  “Acceptance: Here at the End of All Things” is an instrumental track with sound bites picked from unknown sources dubbed atop a slower, more musical composition.  I’m not sure of the meaning behind the sound bites, but the composition itself is well-though out and pretty well-written.  Not particularly memorable, but good in its own right.  “Death of Sound” closes out the LP, being a more dreary mid-90s crusty song that’s mid-tempo instead of fast.  Didn’t like this last song much- oh well, the four in between are reasonably good.  Stay to the middle.  Still, the few good songs are all pretty decent- worth streaming, maybe buying if you like noise or write for a zine/ magazine.  Not bad.

-Aunty Social