Doom atmosphere, djent riffs and samples meet folk - A review of Kartikeya's Samudra

Six years after a disappointing sophomore output and ten years after its unique first strike, Russian sextet Kartikeya is back with a third record after numerous digital single releases. Samudra is a vast improvement over the predecessor but not as consistent as the debut release. Overall, it's a big step in the right direction for the band and focuses on the elements that made the band so outstanding a decade ago. Technical death metal fusions with atmospheric parts and Indian folklore, imagery and mythology.

The first third of the album sounds as if it were still slightly influenced by the predecessor. Kartikeya delivers technical death metal tracks with exchangeable growls and a few sinister atmospheric passages but the Indian soundscapes aren't particularly well-integrated and often feel randomly inserted and disjointed. 

The songwriting sounds much more cohesive in the brilliant second third of the record. ''Mask of the Blind'' is the first track to combine symphonic death metal and Indian folklore fluidly and harmoniously in an epic yet structured track that summarizes the band's strength in five minutes. The mysterious title song ''Samudra'' slows things down and mixes hypnotizing folk elements with an almost uneasy grunge atmosphere. The folk song ''Kannada (Munjaaneddu Kumbaaranna)'' serves as a perfect interlude between the second and last third and brings India's exotic magic to life. The more vivid ''The Golden Blades'' and ''We Shall Never Die'' are this record's most upbeat songs and convince equally with progressive musicianship and gripping choruses and melodies. Even the vocals vary more in these two songs and don't only focus on generic growls but also include whispered passages and a few rarely but efficiently used clean vocals. These two songs are both highlights on this record and in Kartikeya's career.

The last third is a little bit more ambitious but also harder to digest. The catchy Indian folkore elements are reduced slightly for more death and doom metal elements that challenge the listener. Especially the closing track with a length of above thirteen minutes takes some time to open up but turns out to be a creative gem with numerous shifts in atmosphere and style, including djent riffing, long instrumental passages and radio play samples.

In the end, Samudra has much more positive than negative elements. Kartikeya often manages to recapture the magic of its stunning debut that mixed progressive death metal with Indian folklore and adds further elements such as djent riffing, doom atmosphere and efficient samples. The songs that focus less on folk influences but rather on symphonic death metal sound slightly exchangeable, particularly in the weaker first third of the record. A shorter record with only nine or ten songs would have sounded more efficient in my book. Still, if you like technical death, doom or folk metal, Kartikeya is a group you need to check out and you might as well start with the very good Samudra.

Final rating: 79%