Hailing from Denver’s thriving doom-metal scene, Khemmis captivated fans with their latest album “Desolation”, which was released on June 22nd of this year via 20 Buck Spin and Nuclear Blast Entertainment.
Combining traditional doom with Thin Lizzy-style hard rock, the band have honed their craft to blend both extreme and old-school influences more seamlessly than ever before.
Ill-omened melodies alongside chugging, galloping riffs set the tone of the album and in a special trailer being unveiled today, duelling axemen Phil Pendergast and Ben Hutcherson play through new track, “Flesh to Nothing”. Check it out below.
With “Desolation” we wanted to make a record that celebrated our love of the metal that got us into heavy music in the first place while still adding our own spin on that sound”, explains Phil. “For me, "Flesh to Nothing" is the song that most explicitly captures that spirit. My vocals were very inspired by both Rob Halford and Nick Holmes here, and the riffing has a lot of heavy metal swagger, making it one of my favorite tracks to play. The vocal climax into the dueling guitar solos is one of my favorite moments on the new record”.
Ben adds: “We chose "Flesh to Nothing" for this guitar playthrough because it covers a lot of ground - a somber, downtempo chorus gives way to a galloping bridge early in the song, while the vocal interplay during the black metal pre-solo break alludes to the dueling guitar solos near the end. Oh, and let’s not forget all of the harmonized guitar lines - we channeled Iron Maiden quite a few times in this track! Over the years, lots of fans asked how we write and play these songs, so we felt that "Flesh" would serve as an ideal introduction to playing our brand of doomed heavy metal. We tune our Flying Vs to Drop D down two whole steps (low to high A# F A# D# G C) and we both use D'Addario EXL158 Light Baritone Strings (13-62). When you tune low and play hard, you’ve gotta beef up those strings!”...
Get “Desolation” here.
The bewitching cover artwork for the new album was created by Sam Turner (Black Breath, 3 Inches Of Blood, In The Company Of Serpents).
Khemmis’ passion for progressive and soulful heavy music is more evident than ever. Though undeniably influenced by doom and classic metal, to tag them with those labels doesn‘t do justice to what‘s accomplished on “Desolation”; a perfect representation of modern heavy metal in 2018 that integrates the past in a way only possible in the present. It's impossible to ignore the lengths that the four piece go to, to master their craft and produce a highly unique form of heavy sound. Their magnificently uplifting, yet sorrowful groovy riffs weave you along on an unparalleled journey. Desolation is not just the best Khemmis record to date but a testament to the quality that heavy metal is still capable of.
From the stadium-sized opening notes of “Bloodletting” it is immediately evident that Khemmis is again putting distance between themselves and their earlier influences, to inform a sound that is singularly their own.
“Isolation” - which the band recently aired live in the US on their tour with Enslaved, Wolves In The Throne Room and Myrkur - is the album‘s lead single and most immediate track, with the classic metal melodies the band have become revered for shining throughout. On epic closer “From Ruin” and throughout the entirety of the album, the lead vocals and melodies of Phil Pendergast are the clearest, most powerful and best arranged that the band has achieved. Working for the third time with Dave Otero at Flatline Audio in Denver, the band and producer now have the familiarity and mutual experience to arrive at the perfect symbiosis of songwriting, arrangement and production value.
“Desolation” is an album that fans of Paradise Lost, Candlemass, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Spirit Adrift, Pallbearer, Yob, Warning, Atlantean Kodex, High On Fire, Metallica and Corrosion Of Conformity should not miss.
Formed in 2012 in Denver USA, Khemmis have released two albums to date. 2015's “Absolution” and 2016’s “Hunted” paint a unique portrait; encompassing spiralling progressive doom, fuzz-toned stoner riffs, syrupy sludge and churning classic grooves. They transcend traditional doom forming elegant yet dramatic tracks, conveying their unique sense of melancholy edged with a sense of foreboding.
Debut record “Absolution” earned the four piece outright critical praise from the underground, plus achieving them Decibel’s “Top 40 Albums of the Year” list allowing their impact to slowly start seeping into the mainstream consciousness. “Hunted” broke down those final barriers earning Khemmis widespread recognition, ranging from glowing reviews at Metal Sucks, Metal Injection and Pitchfork, to earning them a spot in Rolling Stone's “20 Best Metal Albums of 2016” list and Decibel’s highly sought after “Album of the Year” accolade.
Line-up:
Phil Pendergast - Guitar, vocals
Ben Hutcherson - Guitar, vocals
Daniel Beiers - Bass
Zach Coleman - Drums
Weblinks:
www.facebook.com/khemmisdoom
khemmisdoom.com
Combining traditional doom with Thin Lizzy-style hard rock, the band have honed their craft to blend both extreme and old-school influences more seamlessly than ever before.
Ill-omened melodies alongside chugging, galloping riffs set the tone of the album and in a special trailer being unveiled today, duelling axemen Phil Pendergast and Ben Hutcherson play through new track, “Flesh to Nothing”. Check it out below.
With “Desolation” we wanted to make a record that celebrated our love of the metal that got us into heavy music in the first place while still adding our own spin on that sound”, explains Phil. “For me, "Flesh to Nothing" is the song that most explicitly captures that spirit. My vocals were very inspired by both Rob Halford and Nick Holmes here, and the riffing has a lot of heavy metal swagger, making it one of my favorite tracks to play. The vocal climax into the dueling guitar solos is one of my favorite moments on the new record”.
Ben adds: “We chose "Flesh to Nothing" for this guitar playthrough because it covers a lot of ground - a somber, downtempo chorus gives way to a galloping bridge early in the song, while the vocal interplay during the black metal pre-solo break alludes to the dueling guitar solos near the end. Oh, and let’s not forget all of the harmonized guitar lines - we channeled Iron Maiden quite a few times in this track! Over the years, lots of fans asked how we write and play these songs, so we felt that "Flesh" would serve as an ideal introduction to playing our brand of doomed heavy metal. We tune our Flying Vs to Drop D down two whole steps (low to high A# F A# D# G C) and we both use D'Addario EXL158 Light Baritone Strings (13-62). When you tune low and play hard, you’ve gotta beef up those strings!”...
Get “Desolation” here.
The bewitching cover artwork for the new album was created by Sam Turner (Black Breath, 3 Inches Of Blood, In The Company Of Serpents).
Khemmis’ passion for progressive and soulful heavy music is more evident than ever. Though undeniably influenced by doom and classic metal, to tag them with those labels doesn‘t do justice to what‘s accomplished on “Desolation”; a perfect representation of modern heavy metal in 2018 that integrates the past in a way only possible in the present. It's impossible to ignore the lengths that the four piece go to, to master their craft and produce a highly unique form of heavy sound. Their magnificently uplifting, yet sorrowful groovy riffs weave you along on an unparalleled journey. Desolation is not just the best Khemmis record to date but a testament to the quality that heavy metal is still capable of.
From the stadium-sized opening notes of “Bloodletting” it is immediately evident that Khemmis is again putting distance between themselves and their earlier influences, to inform a sound that is singularly their own.
“Isolation” - which the band recently aired live in the US on their tour with Enslaved, Wolves In The Throne Room and Myrkur - is the album‘s lead single and most immediate track, with the classic metal melodies the band have become revered for shining throughout. On epic closer “From Ruin” and throughout the entirety of the album, the lead vocals and melodies of Phil Pendergast are the clearest, most powerful and best arranged that the band has achieved. Working for the third time with Dave Otero at Flatline Audio in Denver, the band and producer now have the familiarity and mutual experience to arrive at the perfect symbiosis of songwriting, arrangement and production value.
“Desolation” is an album that fans of Paradise Lost, Candlemass, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Spirit Adrift, Pallbearer, Yob, Warning, Atlantean Kodex, High On Fire, Metallica and Corrosion Of Conformity should not miss.
Formed in 2012 in Denver USA, Khemmis have released two albums to date. 2015's “Absolution” and 2016’s “Hunted” paint a unique portrait; encompassing spiralling progressive doom, fuzz-toned stoner riffs, syrupy sludge and churning classic grooves. They transcend traditional doom forming elegant yet dramatic tracks, conveying their unique sense of melancholy edged with a sense of foreboding.
Debut record “Absolution” earned the four piece outright critical praise from the underground, plus achieving them Decibel’s “Top 40 Albums of the Year” list allowing their impact to slowly start seeping into the mainstream consciousness. “Hunted” broke down those final barriers earning Khemmis widespread recognition, ranging from glowing reviews at Metal Sucks, Metal Injection and Pitchfork, to earning them a spot in Rolling Stone's “20 Best Metal Albums of 2016” list and Decibel’s highly sought after “Album of the Year” accolade.
Line-up:
Phil Pendergast - Guitar, vocals
Ben Hutcherson - Guitar, vocals
Daniel Beiers - Bass
Zach Coleman - Drums
Weblinks:
www.facebook.com/khemmisdoom
khemmisdoom.com