Kekal - Embrace the Dead (2000)
Kekal is a very hard band to describe. Thier first album "Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams" was a complete black metal feast with some older thrash influences and a couple melodic songs with female
vocals. This new offering, "Embrace the Dead", is very much along the same lines only I am hearing even more melody and more '80's style thrash/power influence in the guitar playing. For the most part the vocals are black
metal oriented with some clear male and female vocals to compliment to sound and give it atmosphere. I have got to hand it to these guys, they d o have some of the finest black metal vocals in the scene today. The drums on this (as
well as their previous effort) are prorgammed and are absolutely amazing! You can not tell that it is a drum machine and I have never heard programming done this well. The production is overall pretty decent but rough and varies
from song to song
and actually helps to keep the sound very underground and dark. In my opinion this could cross a few lines and appeal to some classic metal fans as well as black metal fans, mostly because of the
"classic" elements in the guitar work. Kekal has a knack at playing very dark sounding music while retaining a sense of melody. -- Review by Norm
From Indonesia come one of the most talented bands in all of Christian Metal! Kekal! This band plays really intense black metal and one would not believe the musicianship of this band. Very talented. Although this was recorded with drum programs, they go beyond what the norm of it would be. Sounds like a real drummer that is just super tight. The guitars and bass fit with the drums like a glove! Never heard a band so tight in my life! These vocals are very cool also. I hear sounds of older Emperor's vocalist Ihsahn mixed with Satyr of Satyricon and John of Hecate Enthroned. Very high pitched but goes into lower vocals and some eerie type clean vocals and a female singer. Normally the female singer would ruin it for me as I am not into that style of black metal... but these guys utilized every aspect they could and it shows. The guitars are very technical and show much talent within the aspect of melody and harmony and utilized this well. Everything in this album is perfect and that truly says alot! I look forward to hearing much more of this band! If you have friends in the black metal scene that have a problem with Christian Black Metal... play this band for them! Guaranteed they will eat their words! -- Review by Shannon
f you are a fan of Kekals last cd this cd will be more of the same plus better production. Kekal has really improved in the arragement department as well. There is a little bit of everything on this cd. You get chaotic music, shrill vocals, speedy guitars, acoustic parts, female vocals, and better drum parts. This is a good album that serious black metal fans will enjoy. I miss some of the melodic parts that were there on Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams as the music is fast but gets repetative in parts. The shrill vocals send shivers down the spine on this effort. Better prodcution lets the shrill take its full effect. Kekal does a better job too at weaving in the female vocals on these songs. The female vocals compliment the shrill very well and add a sense of beauty to the album. While the drums are still programmed they sound a lot less mechanical and add the tempo that the last cd lacked. Kekal has also improved in lyrical composition as well. The broken and choppy English has been replaced with lyrics that are deep and are very evangelical. Songs on this cd are Longing for Truth, Embrace the Dead, The Fearless and the Dedicated, Healing, The Final Call, From Within, Scripture Before Struggle and Millennium. This is an excellent black metal release from start to finish. It should be though for all the time it took the band to release it. -- Alex Mull