Kronos - The Hellenic Terror review
| Band: | Kronos |
| Album: | The Hellenic Terror |
| Style: | Death metal |
| Release date: | April 01, 2007 |
| Guest review by: | Troy Killjoy |
01. The Road Of Salvation
02. Bringers Of Disorder
03. ...Until The End Of Time
04. Suffocate The Ignorant
05. A Huge Cataclysm
06. Tricephalic Hellkeeper
07. Petrifying Beauty Part I: Divine Vengeance
08. Petrifying Beauty Part II: The Murderous Reflection
09. Ouranian Cyclops
10. Maze Of Oblivion
"Amon Amarth is to Viking as Kronos is to Greek mythology." Whenever I'm forced to explain this French outfit, that is the first thing that comes to mind. However, there is more to the music behind Titan kings brandishing their weaponry. Needless to say, The Hellenic Terror is a full-frontal assault in need of acknowledgement. Reaping the benefits of their previous success (Colossal Titan Strife), Kronos continue down their path of terror with this release, an unrelenting path that will make your ears bleed - in the best way possible.
Jérôme Grammaire and Richard Chuat's guitar play leaves one with absolutely no room to run away, which is what some listeners may feel the need to do after the crushing opener "The Road of Salvation" begins to play. There is by no means any mercy found in this album: guitar solos are brief and timed so the music picks up immediately after, stripping the album of any potential melody (save for "Ouranian Cyclops"); Michaël Saccoman unleashes all of his fury on his drum kit from the opening second right to the very end; and the vocals? The vocals are undoubtedly Kronos' greatest asset. Without Christophe Gérardin's beastly growls, the band would simply be crippled, which is coincidentally how Gérardin leaves the listener. His voice is reminiscent of Alex Camargo (Krisiun). That being said, he is backed by most members of the band in moments that call for vocal layering or higher pitched shrieks.
There are several elements to the music here that weren't fully developed on Colossal Titan Strife; conversely, there are some elements that have weakened in the two years it took to produce The Hellenic Terror. Where the production grew stronger, the hooks seemed to dissolve. Songs such as "Opplomak" felt more driven than perhaps the most catchy song on The Hellenic Terror, "Suffocate the Ignorant." However, this is a "one step back, two steps forward" situation, in that their latest offering maintains the level of overwhelming brutality they have been known for since their debut. The groove-inspired breakdowns have been replaced with brutal death metal chugging, but the drums have lost their consistency.
Depending on the listener's preference, The Hellenic Terror can be the best Kronos album to date, or the worst. For fans of intense guitars that riff through songs without any sense of melody, combined with high-speed drum work and deep growls, I suggest this album to appease your brutal taste. For fans of slightly more melodic and catchy guitar composition, consistent (but sometimes boring) drumming and vocals that alternate between pitches, look no further than Colossal Titan Strife. Regardless, Kronos is your band.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 10 |
Written by Troy Killjoy | 20.09.2009
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments: 11
Visited by: 78 users
| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8669  |
I think i will check this out soon
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Written by Ellrohir on 20.09.2009 at 23:39 Excellent. These guys are definitely worthy of a larger fan base, although I'm not sure what will become of them now that they lack a lead vocalist and their label situation is rocky...
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 21.09.2009 at 00:10 Since when is their label situation rocky? There is nothing rocky about Neurotic Records situation. It is one of the more stable ones aorund tbh.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 21.09.2009 at 07:46 They almost went out of business last year for some reason - lots of customers got screwed out of preorders. And BTW, this album is awesome 
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Dangerboner on 21.09.2009 at 08:37 Sure they almost went out of business? Where did you get that info from? Didn't hear a thing about it here in Holland's metal scene. Neurotic Deathfest went on as planned. And they're already planning the next edition as well.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 21.09.2009 at 08:49 Yeah from what I read it sounded like they were going out of business. They ran out of money and band support, and the people who ran the label stopped communicating to the customers and public in general. I read this a few months back on some forum where tons of people were complaining about the label, and I remember the thread was well over a year old. Unfortunately, I can't remember the site :/
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Dangerboner on 21.09.2009 at 08:57 Aaah a forum. the be all and end all of all things concerning gossip  They might somehow have stopped communicating to the customers (loads of labels do that from time to time it seems) but I can guarantee you that they never ran out of money and band support (their bands never stopped touring and have always recieved support and as for communicatng to the public in general they never stopped doing that here in this country. Neurotic Deathfest is organised by them and has been running successfully for a couple of years now. And a festival is also a means of communicating for a label. I always say... first check gossips that abound on the internet forums before regarding them as facts.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262 |
Well the forum even included the owner of the label as a posting user lol. I wouldn't have believed it if it didn't have as many pages as it did.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Dangerboner on 21.09.2009 at 09:19 Hahaha if it was actually the owner that posted then it probably is true. But I have seen this sort of stuff go on on other forums as well. Loads of pages and someone PRETENDING to be the label owner. Like I said if it really is true about Neurotic being in that predicament some time ago I am sure I would have heard about it here in Holland. Ruud Lemmens is the founder of [url]www.quintessence.sh[/url] and I know a couple of people that write for it, I also know a couple of people in a few of their bands, as well as people that deal with Neurotic on a regular basis due to the fact that they work in record stores. And not a single person has ever mentioned the so-called problems Neurotic were in. And neither did I hear anything about it at gigs and such.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 21.09.2009 at 09:25 Once again Marcel your knowledge proves to be much more useful than my own. I initially made the comment under the assumption that Neurotic was in a sort of financial crisis or something similar, as word floated around in several forums that the label was set to collapse. Combined with the loss of their lead singer, I figured we might not be hearing more from these guys, but if what you say is true (and what you say is definitely more fact-based than what I said) then hopefully in a year or two these guys pump out another great album! 
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 21.09.2009 at 15:18 Like I said earlier... always be aware of what floats around in forums. But to be 100% sure I will ask around, nonetheless. If what you say is true about Neurotic Records then I do find it totally weird that preparations for Neurotic Deathfest 2010 are in full swing. But then again maybe Neurotic Deathfest is totally in the hands of another organization now. Which is of course also very possible.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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