Krause – The Art of Fatigue
Release Date: 20th May 2021
Label: Venerate Industries
Bandcamp
Genre: Noise Rock
FFO: Unsane, Whores, Metz, KEN Mode, Helmet, Melvins.
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
Greek noise rock quartet Krause is coming out swinging with their third album, The Art of Fatigue. The band was formed in 2016 in Athens, Greece, and since that time they have been pushing and exploring the universe of noise and despair. The Art of Fatigue is a frenzied, frustrating, and dismal journey which explores themes related to current events. According to a recent press release, the band states, “The tracks are essentially about urban decay and our disgust with politics, society and human life amidst the pandemic and the ongoing crisis. We are all rather misanthropic and pessimistic as people, so our lyrics tend to either be stories of urban isolation or reflect our disappointment with our own selves and humanity under capitalism. Our opinions were confirmed by the financial crisis and the resultant global situation, so I don’t see our themes changing any time soon.” Real talk: I think the majority of people reading this can relate to these thoughts and feelings. Events of the past couple of years have taken a massive toll on people in a myriad of ways, and disillusionment abounds. Conveying these themes is no easy feat; this is even more so when lyrics are distorted and cannot be relied upon to be the main carrier of a message. Krause definitely rise to the challenge, though.
Tracks on The Art of Fatigue are typically 2-3 minutes of intense, foreboding, sonic assaults. Titles such as “Sloppy Human Excess”“Bootstrap Reactionaries and Alienated Intelligentsia” and “The Stuff of Tired Eyes” reflect the overall ambiance of the album. Krause mastered the energy of old school punk, but is more aligned with noise and sludge metal influences. This combination really allows the band to tap into what they want the listener to hear in their work: decay, disillusionment, and ire. Rather than focusing on a specific style, the band said their goal is to “…create an atmosphere and tone” much like the acts on Amphetamine Reptile. Goal achieved, my good sirs. Many of the riffs hit you like a wave and pull you under, whipping you around until you are caught in an undertow and forced into the depths. Buzzing guitars are much like a swarm of bees defending their hive from a filthy predator nearing. At times the tone of the guitars is so piercing that it feels like being stabbed. Now, this may sound somewhat off-putting, but trust me when I say it really fits within the landscape of sound. The drumming on this album is aces and stood out in terms of keeping the transitions within the songs interesting. Throw in some time signature changes reminiscent of the Melvins, and we have ourselves a winner. Part of the enjoyment of listening to this work is the overall energy of the band; I felt like I was back in a pit at a local show during my teen years. Although my body cannot handle the intensity of being in the pit these days, listening to this album put me in that place mentally, and it was a hell of a time. 
(4 / 5)
