Sometimes an album earns sympathy credits before listening and that’s exactly the case with Italian based instrumental duo KAILASH. Already the band name sounds rather unusual, the at first sight illogical album title hints at the process of (re)interpretation of what once was and thus inspires, moreover the artwork is inviting with its individual blue-green aura. And a band which covers Ved Buens Ende deserves critical interest at least, doesn’t it?
Forgive me pardon when I fail to answer what kind of music KAILASH actually plays and whether that music could be described with the term “avant-garde”. What I can tell you for sure is the fact that Marco Basili (guitars and bass) and Andrea Basili (drums and percussion) create their very own music and that it’s worth to take some time to explore it. When listening to “Past Changing Fast” for the first time, I instantly liked the inartificial character of the complex compositions. KAILASH vary style, tempo and mood a lot, however they refrain from experimenting for the sake of showing their skills off and prefer a psychedelic approach instead, so the music sounds euphonious and sometimes even relaxing. There are heavy and metallic parts, but their role is not dominant at all, they are more like details of a surreal picture which add their own qualities to the whole piece of art. The balanced and powerful production reveals the great dynamics of the seven songs and proves the range of possibilities of relatively small bands which play in their own niches and invest enough time, passion and efforts to create a record that shall stand the test of time. I’m not sure how many listeners among approx 6.9 billion humans this duo attracts, but I’m damn sure that it would win some more if it added vocals to their already atmospheric pieces. I can well imagine Mikael Åkerfeldt singing to a song like “Nested Thoughts” and I’m sure there’s a lot of potential for even more emotional arrangements. Nevertheless there’s already a special kind of beauty in those songs floating far beyond easy jazz arrangements – a beauty that needs to be discovered between the lines, pardon, between the unforeheard. That counts as well for the interpretation of Ved Buens Ende’s “Remembrance Of The Things Past” and that says enough, I hope.
Often an album which earned sympathy credits with non-musical details first, disappoints in the listening session later on. KAILASH avoids this mistake and deepens the fascination with its lively and enigmatic songs which should attract quite some listeners into soulful and euphonious rock music.
-Thor Joakimsson
VITALS:
Release: April 2010
Label: Frostscald Records
Avantgenre: Instrumental Contrasts In Rock & Metal
Duration: 46:03
Origin: Italy
Official site: http://www.myspace.com/kailashofficial
Review online since: 16.06.2010 / 20:03:09
TRACKLIST:
01 – Winter Glimpse
02 – Past Changing Fast
03 – Return To The Desert
04 – Through The Waters
05 – Nested Thoughts
06 – Endless Night Sweet Delight
07 – Remembrance Of The Things Past
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