Khost – Buried Steel (Album – Cold Spring)
Genre/Influences: Death-industrial, drone, doom.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Andy Swan and Damian Bennett are back on track unleashing the fourth album from their Khost project. They got some help from guests like Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire, Wrangler), Eugene Robinson (Oxbow), Stephen Ah Burroughs (Tunnels Of Ah) ao.
Content: Khost has accomplished a new sonic assault, which takes off with heavy drones and hard, industrial guitar sounds plus deep, growling vocals. The sound often moves towards the edge of pure noise, but remains accessible. The tracklist features a few, short intermezzos, but globally speaking “Buried Steel” has no relief. From bombastic drum sections in the purest industrial style to echoing drones, the tracks are holding you by the throat. I noticed a few cuts with some more electronic sound treatments while the most surprising passage is the one featuring trumpet sounds (cf. “Judgement Is Infallible” and “A Non Temporal Crawlspace”). The last song is a remix by Mothboy.
+ + + : Khost has already achieved some heavy, blasting works, but “Buried Steel” appears to be their most accomplished work to date. Those sonic terrorists are mixing different ‘heavy’ influences together, creating a monstrous sonic album. I also like some rather unexpected details like the trumpet sound on the aforementioned “Judgement Is Infallible” and “A Non Temporal Crawlspace”. It injects something authentic to the work, but this sound also has something mysterious and cold-like. Khost stands for rough and unpolished work, which is the right approach for this kind of music.
– – – : I think that some cuts could be a little bit more elaborated by injecting some extra sounds, this way reaching something different from other projects dealing with a similar music style. That’s precisely what I like at “Judgement Is Infallible” and “A Non Temporal Crawlspace”.
Conclusion: Khost creates an imaginary state of sonic terror… and I like it! This work is without a shadow of a doubt their best album to date.
Best songs: “Last Furnace”,“Judgement Is Infallible”, “We will Win”, “A Non Temporal Crawlspace”, “Intravener – In Dub Mothboy Remix”.
Rate: (8).
Artist: www.facebook.com/khostband
Label: www.coldspring.co.uk / www.facebook.com/coldspringhq
About Khost
Khost is a Birmingham, UK duo of Andy Swan and Damian Bennett, formed in 2013. In a Side-Line Click Interview, Bennett explained the project’s name comes from Khost, a city in Afghanistan he first read about in a CIA book, chosen for its evocative and unsettled feel rather than any direct connection to the place. Both members trace their musical roots to Birmingham’s rock, punk, metal, reggae and anarcho-punk scenes. “Buried Steel”, released via Cold Spring, brought in guests including Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire, Wrangler), Eugene Robinson (Oxbow) and Stephen Ah Burroughs (Tunnels Of Ah).
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
