Kartikeya- The Battle Begins (2007)

Reviewed by Sebastian Kluth

Kartikeya is a rather interesting band from Russia’s capital Moscow that mixes genre-bending progressive and technically appealing death metal elements with epic Indian folklore music in songs about Eastern mythology, Hinduism, and different philosophical topics. Fans of bands such as Absu, Arkan, Melechesh, Myrath, Nile, Orphaned Land, Rudra, Zindan or maybe even early Amorphis and Therion should definitely check this band out. If you hesitate to give this band a try because of its extreme metal nature, know that this is only one element among many others, and that Kartikeya’s music is extremely diversified, fluid, and inspiring.

The band convinces me most when it comes around with its cinematic and epic song writing in the incredible title tracks “The Battle Begins Part I: The War Of One Blood” and “The Battle Begins Part II: Arjuna”. These songs vary from chilling keyboard sounds over vivid drum, acoustic guitar, and percussion play to a surprisingly fluid mixture of slow-paced death metal elements and almost thrash metal inspired fast outbursts. The vocals vary from melodic clean parts over vivid growls to whispered narrative passages as well. The band sounds extremely atmospheric and diverse on here and put more ideas in these two progressive songs than other bands put in entire records.

The band also offers a few rapidly changing and surprising tracks that are somewhere between genius and insanity. You never really know what to expect, but the end result always sounds completely coherent. A choir of enchanting and melodic female and male vocals introduce us to the otherwise pretty extreme “Thunders Of Indra”. The harsh vocals, blast beats, and apocalyptic keyboard sounds in the otherwise folk metal driven “Ruins Of Belief” hit particularly hard as well. “Unleash The Spirit” features the fastest and most pitiless instrumental part of the record, but also surprises with catchy clean vocal parts that complete the song. If you pay some attention towards the end of the record, you will even find a cover of Soulfly’s “Babylon” as hidden track, which I didn’t expect at all. I’m not a Soulfly fan but this cover fits well on this record.

Kartikeya is definitely one, if not the, most exciting extreme metal band I have discovered over the last months and years. The band really has its own unique sound, and the fusion of epic folk passages and progressive extreme metal parts is absolutely incredible. Discover the band’s Bandcamp presence to give the band’s impressive debut album a fair try.

4.5 // 5

Kartikeya- Mahayuga (2011)

Reviewed by Sebastian Kluth

Kartikeya’s first album The Battle Begins, was a stunning masterpiece that mixed technically appealing, progressive and epic extreme metal with Indian folklore elements. Four years later, the band came around with a follow-up entitledMahayuga, that really pales in comparison to the first release.

My feelings boil down to the overwhelming impression that most of the initial magic is gone. Many songs here are shorter and straighter than the elaborate epics of the first release. A track like “He Who Carries The Head Of Brahma” is an aggressive death metal song, and not completely bad, but it doesn’t represent what Kartikeya stood for on its initial release. Many of these songs sound quite alike as well. Most of the instrumental tracks go nowhere and don’t manage to develop a profound atmosphere. “Mahayuga Part I: Satya Yuga” and “Mahayuga Part II: Treta Yuga” sound like uneasy and uninspired drone compositions. Many folk sections on this release sound like samples from a Senmuth album, and feel a lot less organic than on the first record. Even the few epics featured here have considerable and unnecessary lengths without shining. “Utpavana” is a good song somewhere between Celtic Frost, Dimmu Borgir, and maybe The Vision Bleak, but after five or six impressive minutes everything has been said and the band simply stretches the track out to a length of almost ten minutes. They’re really losing me here.

There are still some rather strong songs on this album. “The Path” is a consistent track with a good mixture of folk passages, impressive symphonic samples, and a duet of hypnotizing clean male vocals and powerful growls. This is maybe the best track. “Moksha” is an inspiring and short instrumental track that would have fit on the first album eaily, and “Neverborn” is a diverse epic that grows with each spin, but doesn’t go too far to bore me. The hidden track that exists on this album is actually another favorite of mine. The band added a truly enchanting version of Shakira’s “Eyes Like Yours” at the end of their record. I must admit that I already appreciate the original version, but this cover is an absolute winner, and a rather surprising choice for the band.

In the end, there are a lot of lights and shades on this album. If this was the band’s first release, I would probably tell you that it has a lot of potential and a unique style that they should expand while improving their song writing, and would probably rate it better as well. The thing is, this is the band’s second output, and that their first strike was really much better. Therefore Mahayuga must be considered as a step back, without being a complete failure. If you want to discover this band, you should maybe start with their sophomore effort and listen to their first release after, or just ignore this album and stick with the band’s debut masterpiece.

2.75 // 5

The Samans- Lionheart (2013)

Reviewed by Sebastian Kluth

The Samans is a fascinating band from Changchun in China, which has released four varied EPs so far. The band started as an industrial metal act with some electronic music, gothic rock, and Neue Deutsche Härte influences on Weltreich that could have been released by bands such as Crematory or Gothminister. Their next EP entitledKhan sounded like a mixture of melodic death metal and folk metal somewhere between Alestorm and Children Of Bodom. The third EP,Whalesong, had a more commercial touch, but united the two genres of folk and melodic death metal even better, and sounded a lot like Turisas and Eluveitie at the time. Their most recent output has the beautiful title Lionheart, and was published without any big announcements at the very end of last year. In a certain way, the band’s fourth release is a mixture of the previous three records, but also offers some new tendencies.

This release features ten short songs with a running time of slightly under thirty minutes, including a lot of transitional instrumental passages, and tracks just like their previous release. These homogenous and fluid songs feature more cinematic sounds than ever before. The symphonic elements have become at least as important as the folk passages driven by accordions, tin whistles, and different percussion samples. I would even say that this atmospheric fusion of both genres has become more present than the metal elements in the sound. As a result, it is now the band’s strongest weapon.

The harsh vocals, the simple guitar riffs, and the average rhythm section are less impressive and poignant than usual. While I’m a little bit sad that the band doesn’t sound as heavy as I’ve known it before, that the production is a little bit mellow, and that the album is missing a hit single, I must admit that its well-developed approach to creating its very own sound works rather well, and is completely respectable from an artistic point of view.

Most of the new tracks sound snatched from movies centered on medieval battles in the United Kingdom, and create a majestic, relaxing atmosphere. Their inspiring music manages to create a lot of images in my mind, and this is always a good sign in my opinion. To my surprise, the band also went back to the use of more electronic elements and a lot of samples as it did during its first few years. These elements harmonize rather well with the symphonic samples, the folk instrumentation, and the laid back melodic death metal style.

The great thing about this record is that it really sounds like something new, open-minded, and unique has been built up over the past years. It is a logical consequence and fusion of the band’s first three outputs. Therefore, it’s probably easier to appreciate and digest  The Samans’ new output if you take the previous three releases into consideration and give this album more than just one or two spins. While one still hears influences of Cruachan or Eluveitie for example, these comparisons are a lot less evident than before. One could say that the band has finally found its own magic potion and it all makes sense to me. The band is definitely on the right path, and I’m still hoping for a first full length release sometime soon.

As it’s really tough to find this band’s records, just go and listen to it using the following link to make up your own mind about this release!

3.5 // 5

Liv Moon- Symphonic Moon (2012)

Reviewed by Sebastian Kluth

Liv Moon is a symphonic power metal band that has what I would call a fairly typical Japanese sound. Their fourth record, Symphonic Moon, opens with electronic samples, cinematic symphonic elements, and variable, slightly theatrical, and powerful female lead vocals. The singer seems to be influenced by singers such as Kate Bush, but also the ABBA singers. The use of sometimes exaggeratedly poetic Japanese lyrics with a few passages in other languages (such as English) is typical for the genre, and so are the topics around dark romanticism. From the first song on, you know exactly what you have to expect for the upcoming fifty-three minutes, and this is very much a “love it or hate it” sort of genre.

The mixture of versatile elements of diverse metal subgenres, along with a commercial touch, is something one can see in many Japanese heavy and power metal bands, particularly in the Visual Kei scene around bands from pioneers X Japan, Concerto Moon, and even MUCC. Similar acts are artists and bands like Alhambra, Cross Vein, and Hamada Mari, but fans of bands such as Seraphim or Nightwish should also check this band out. The catchy “Alchemy” is not a far call from Nightwish’s “Amaranth” and has a lot of hit potential. The sacral elements and vocals in “Kill Me, Kiss Me” or “Datenshino Emi” make think of Krypteria, and this song has tons of hit potential as well.

“Koorino Hitsugi” opens with piano melodies reminding me of HIM’s breakthrough hit “Join Me In Death”, while the rest of the song turns out to be a rather epic ballad with great orchestration that sounds a bit like modern Helloween songs like “Light The Universe” or “Hold Me In Your Arms”. Akane Liv shows her incredible talent in this powerful ballad that puts some warmth in my heart in these cold winter days. My conscience is aware that this kind of music is a bit cheesy and not very unique for some, but my romantic soul really digs this record. If you like this song you will also fall in love with “Shingetsuse”.

The Japanese always know that after such an emotional ballad they must land a harder track and “Fugitive” indeed opens with electronic samples, hard guitar riffs, dominating bass guitar, and a few upper mid-tempo passages. Along with the amazing and powerful “The Last Savior” that even features some male shouts in the chorus and a great guitar solo, it’s probably the fastest track on here. “Black Serenade” follows, sounding like an Anette Olzon song with some influences taken from the “Mission Impossible” title melody.

To keep it short, the band combines energizing power metal with classical symphonic elements to create eleven addicting, reasonably diverse, and energizing anthems plus an interlude. I really can’t find a single weak track on here, but you definitely need to appreciate this kind of music in general to enjoy the album. While the record is not really unique, it’s made with passion and represents Japanese pop metal culture very well. Fans of everything from X Japan to Nightwish, Rondo Veneziano to Evanescence, as well as the Mamma Mia! and Phantom Of The Opera musicals should pick this passionate release up. The warm symphonic sound, the poetic and romantic language, and the powerful female vocals make this the perfect soundtrack for the winter season and Christmas in my opinion.

4.25 // 5