Krakow are a band from the productive city of Bergen, Norway. They now return with their third album, Amaran, which has a total running time of forty four minutes. The stuff was recorded at the Solslottet and Duper Studio with producer Iver Sandøy (he did some studio duties for the likes of Enslaved too) and features new drummer Ask Ty Arctander, whom you might know from his (former or current) activities in e.g. Mactätus or Kampfar.
Amaran is an experimental journey through levels of Metal and Rock, the so-called Post-Rock direction more specifically. It’s not the avant-garde-approach they do follow, nor the jazzy kind that characterises many bands lately. No, as a matter of fact, Krakow have something that combines details from sludgy Doom / Stoner stuff with elements from obscure Extreme Metal, including quite some hints of Post-Black extremity and high-technical (non-traditional) Doom Metal.
There are so many variations throughout this album, going for almost each single piece. Sometimes the stuff sounds angry, battering and hammering, then again hypnotic and floating, or droning and atmospheric. Recurrent elements are the sinister spheres and the well-balanced variation, as well as the unique atmosphere and the fine equilibrium in between modern touches and even futuristic visions. And you know, I have to admit that, normally, I am rather ‘into’ old schooled stuff instead of modernised ‘creativity’. But in Krakow’s case, I am prepared to confess: magic does not necessarily need to be Old School; there might be room for a modern approach too, and Krakow are protagonists of this statement.
Finally this (something I need to add as a reviewer): the whole experience gets injected by some elements from different genres too, such as (cosmic) Ambient, martial neo-folkish soundscapes and sinister, droning Industrial. Since these injections are so well-injected (cf. a track like Pendulum), it is a surplus that lifts up the quality of this album. What I think is the highlight of this album goes on within the very same vein, i.e. the extremely obscure, morbid, asphyxiating Drone / Sludge / Noise / Industrial experience Of Earth; a track that boosts this album with at least ten additional points (of respect).