Kurokuma – Born of Obsidian
Release Date: 4th February 2022
Label: Independent
Bandcamp
Genre: Doom, Sludge.
FFO: Conan, Yob, Electric Wizard, Dopethrone.
Review By: Paul Cairney
Ahh, Sheffield, home to Cutlery, the Steel City Derby, the World Snooker Championship as well as the dirtiest riff I have heard for a good wee while!
Born of Obsidian is the debut album by Sheffield based band, Kurokuma, and for a Sludge/Doom album, it is relatively short. However, its brevity does not impact on your enjoyment, it will enhance it and leave you begging for more.
Kurokuma squeeze 5 songs into the 38-minute run time and do not waste a minute. For a debut album, Born of Obsidian sits in the ‘must listen’ category. Opening with ‘Smoking Mirror’, our industrial revolution pioneers have released an album that is too good for its independent status. The opening track immediately grabs you, but it is the albums second song that really hooks you in, ensuring you are a fan. ‘Sacrifice to Huitzilopotchi’ is, by an utterly impressive distance, the best song on the album. Featuring the aforementioned riff, it is utterly disgusting, devastatingly heavy and is unfortunately brief, being the shortest song on this 5 track album. I could genuinely listen to this song all day! It is incredibly easy to select the ‘repeat’ button on the music device of your choice!
Born of Obsidian has no weak tracks. Kurokuma, whom I assume may be slightly geeky (google their band name), and I apologise if I am wrong, have absolutely nailed their debut album. Mostly sludge/doom in its delivery, there is a slight roots era Sepultura feel about the third song, ‘Jaguar’, with guitarist/vocalist, Jacob Mazlum delivering, and ultimately improving on, his inner Max Cavalera.
The penultimate track, ‘Ololiuqui’ has a riff that, in a live setting, will make you piss AND shit yourself. Similar in part to Metal Epidemic favourites, Conan, one can imagine the bass alone making your innards tremble in both fear and exhilaration about 5 minutes and 30 seconds in. Although I said the second track is a clear winner in the best song category – it will not have the physical impact this one will.
It is with a high level of sadness that, ‘Under the Fifth Sun’ finally invades your earholes! Up until this track, nothing in Born of Obsidian disappoints you, and so you will be under no illusion that the albums closing track will buck this trend. The fact it takes over five minutes and 40 seconds for any vocals to hit is irrelevant. By now, you are already lost in the glory of Kurokuma and the malevolent beauty of Born of Obsidian.
This is a top 10 of 2022 contender!
(4.5 / 5)
