Krv
s/t

Krv, if you are speaking Swedish, like I am, then you might associate the name Krv with korv, Swedish for sausage. But it is of course not that they mean but kurv, that means blood in Serbian, probably more logical name for the black metal duo than the Swedish association. It is the debut album for the Krv moniker, but the members have done albums with other bands, so they aren’t rookies and rookieness does not explain the extremely dull artwork. The album is described in the press material as shattering conventions of the black metal genre, which doesn’t require much, and they sing in three different languages that is English, French and Serbian.

Black metal that is shattering conventions sounds like any black metal in the ears of those not really deeply versed in the intricacies of the simple and dark style that is black metal. The guitars are dissonant, the screams and growls are very familiar, the smattering drums and the pretty monochromatic colour of the songs. The production and soundscape are like black metal in general, quite murky and taxing to listen to. There are some fresher niceties to be found here and there on this album when you examine it closer, but it sounds like any black metal on casual listening. I didn’t even notice that it sung in three languages before reading it in the press material, I heard some French now that I listened to it while writing this – I can also add that it takes longer to listen to the album than writing the text about it, that isn’t too common, so it is a long album.

No, I am not impressed. I am actually pretty bored listening to this album; it should never be a chore to listen through an album as music should be enjoyable, but this is a tough ask to play through as it is so dissonant and dreary. It is certainly possible that black metal fans will find this album agreeable, perhaps even good but general metal fans like myself should probably steer clear. Many areas of the black metal genre is of a nature that it appeals to a very select clientele so it is probably no surprise that I claim that this album is rather pointless to check out for most of us.

For the one into the intricacies of the lack metal it is not impossible that this can be worth checking out, but in order to really get anything out of it you have to be well versed in the genre and see differences in the monotony the genre generally offer. It is difficult to see why one wants to add more titles to this genre that has way more albums and bands than it has actual fans, but each to their own I guess. In the end I think that this album is like its cover, like something tacky in monochrome.

HHHHHHH