Jun 212018
 

 

The Finnish band Khanus made an attention-grabbing debut with their 2016 EP Rites of Fire (reviewed here). Less than 14 minutes long, it was nevertheless long enough to mark the band as one to watch closely. The genre-crossing music kept the tension and unease tightly coiled at almost all times, yet with a fascinating ability to hypnotize as it simultaneously put the listener’s teeth on edge. The EP was also long enough to attract the attention of I, Voidhanger Records, which reissued the EP on CD and is now preparing to release the first Khanus album.

Those who are familiar with this label’s releases know to expect something unorthodox. And Flammarion does indeed arouse the mind with otherworldly visions and an atmosphere of mysticism, while also channeling a primal, physically arresting energy. In the words of I, Voidhanger’s accurate summing-up, “Khanus‘ music oscillates between trance-inducing melodies almost bordering on hypnotic psychedelia and the primitive pulse of black/death metal, all seen through a distorting avant-garde lens that exalts the weirdness of the style without sacrificing brutality and aggressiveness”.

You’ll get a strong sense of Khanus‘ creative proclivities through the song we’re premiering today, a track named “Surrupu“, although it doesn’t provide a complete encapsulation of all the album’s textures. The sounds and moods are too varied for any one track to stand as an exclusive representation. Still, this a great lead-in to what Flammarion holds in store. Continue reading »

Apr 122016
 

Khanus-Rites of Fire

 

I’ve collected in this post reviews of two EPs that I’ve been enjoying lately and would like to recommend.

KHANUS

The Finnish band Khanus first released their debut EP, Rites of Fire, in February of this year as a digital download, and also made it available on a small number of cassette tapes.

I learned about the EP through the recent announcement that I, Voidhanger Records will be releasing it in a limited edition of digipack CDs on May 6 — and that the band are now working on a debut full-length that will also be released by I, Voidhanger; the line-up for the new recording will include drummer Lordt of Code (a band that was the subject of Andy Synn’s most recent SYNN REPORT). Continue reading »