Out Now
Words by Kris Peters
Brisbane metal outfit Adriatic are a difficult bunch to classify.
Put loosely they are a hardcore djent-dominated slice of musical aggression, but when you throw traditional Bulgarian leanings and splatterings of raw, unbridled aggression the sonic palate starts to enter more digestible territory.
Known for their frenetic live shows, Adriatic have somewhat of a cult underground local following which, with the imminent release of their new album, should swell considerably.
Krilé is the long-awaited second part of the Koreni-Krilé (Roots-Wings) double LP, originally released back in July 2020. It has been three long years in the making, with the band taking their time to fine-tune everything to precise specifics and capture every last ounce of musical mastery possible.
With Krilé out today, August 1, HEAVY cleared some time in our schedule to take in what promises to be an unparalleled assault on our musical senses.
Before we get going, it seems pertinent to share the news that Adriatic have invited quite a few of their friends and contemporaries to contribute to this album, so I shall do my best to give each their due credit.
It is also important to point out before we get too far into things that vocalist Ctorh Sharks hails from Bulgaria, hence the strong influence throughout the album.
Krilé opens the album, with Dessy Dobreva – one of Bulgaria’s best-known folk performers – listed as guest artist on this track.
Adriatic get straight into it on the back of an almighty scream from Ctorh over the top of a stuttering guitar riff that is as tough as it is imposing before Dobreva eases into things with a beautifully calming influence.
This doesn’t last long, however, as Ctorh renews his hostilities amid a background of musical chaos that has more timing and signature changes than a watchmaker.
This is pure, raw aggressive intent, the cavalcade of instruments somehow managing to merge as one despite the intricacies separating them.
Ctorh barks and spits venom in all directions as his bandmates revel in the decay, harnessing his energy and expending it tenfold.
I’m already exhausted, and the first track isn’t even finished as Dobreva adds a touch of beauty to the darkness, her angelic presence soaring over and entwining with Ctorh’s vocals in a mesmerizing finale that clings to your senses long after the final note rings true.
The serenity doesn’t last, as Staring At The Sun monsters its way to life courtesy of another blood-curdling scream from Ctorh. The frenetic, off-kilter drums and guitar soon steers Staring At The Sun into opposing directions, with the one constant being the ferocious onslaught by Adriatic’s frontman.
Ofa Fanaika of local legends Chocolate Strings and Grant from Strange Fiction are listed as guest artists on this song, and before I can start trying to figure out what their contribution is this track takes a sharp turn into Jamaican territory with a reggae-infused breakdown adding an eerily confronting slant to things.
It’s not your standard reggae fare, with the vocals drawn out and segregated with an echo effect. It’s almost soothing and fits surprisingly well, before Adriatic soon tire of the tranquillity and deliver a vicious tirade of blast-beat death metal.
I feel confused and violated at this point, but there’s no time for emotions here as Adriatic settle straight back into stride and drive Staring At The Sun kicking and screaming into second single A Lighthouse In The Desert, which features Diletta Luna from Devonian.
This track starts out at a far steadier pace than the first two, while still maintaining an underlying menace that promises to erupt at any moment.
And it doesn’t disappoint.
Ctorh must have been having a major bad hair day when he recorded his vocals because he is PISSED at everything. And he is such a nice guy off stage…
This track has a more swirling guitar riff that punctuates the menacing undertones, with Luna and Ctorh trading vocals in an effort to calm hostilities. Ctorh even showcases a cleaner side to his vocals that still exudes contempt and as the drums quicken in time with yet another crunching guitar riff he once more renews hostilities as Luna embraces her dark side in unison.
Dobreva resurfaces on the next track By My Side, which opens with an eclectic and convulsing sonic attack that induces Ctorh into the fray as he once more sets about dismantling the very fabric of nature.
Despite the obvious domination afforded Ctorh’s vocals, Adriatic’s lifeblood comes in the form of their rhythm section who cough and splutter with sweeping expansiveness. At times, they seem to be in direct contrast with one another but just when you think the music is about to splinter into too many variables the reigns tighten and restore the status quo, albeit with an overwhelming strain of disorder.
By My Side ebbs and flows with militant precision, a maelstrom of clean and harsh vocals seemingly at war with one another while still battling the same unseen foe.
An awesome drum-led breakdown towards the back end of the song turns into a musical free-for-all that would translate menacingly to the live arena, which incidentally will be held on September 8 at Bad Luck in Brisbane with guests Tetrament, Illusionary and Boys At The Back.
1984 All Over Again could mean anything to anyone, but the spluttering intro suggests it’s more for the hardcore kids in waiting from that era.
This song features Bulgaria’s heaviest hardcore band Vendetta and kicks you straight in the ribs from the get-go.
The mathematic time signatures are still present, but this track is far heavier in nature. It’s a fresh blending of hardcore and djent that translates with devastating effect.
Perhaps sensing my racing heart, the track pulls back around the two-minute mark with a tempered breakdown that changes the tact of the song completely. It’s still brutal as fuck but without the menace – although the threat of imminent violence is never far from the surface.
Yep, here it comes.
Adriatic do heavy on so many levels it’s hard at times to keep up, but being on the peripheral has never felt so satisfying.
First single Death’s Funeral is next out of the blocks, a wicked drum roll igniting the flame of destruction as Adriatic explode from every angle, guitars and drums defying regulation as they summon Ctorh into action. He dutifully obliges and leads his charges into an aural blast of misery that thrives amid the constantly changing sonic structures and unrelenting vocal insanity that refuses to bow to convention.
Then things taper out gently, a more tempered and hypnotically appealing undercurrent replacing the fire. Things almost enter the demonic realm as the relative calm is shattered by a piercing scream from Ctorh who renews his running battle with an unseen nemesis.
More sporadic musical interplay carries Death’s Funeral to its resting place, ushering in Empty to take its place on the chopping block.
Cameron Whelan from Therein plays some guitar on this track according to the album notes, but Ctorh soon tires of niceties by blasting a sonic wave of capitulation into the landscape.
And then I’m pretty sure I hear Cameron’s contribution, a soaring, almost majestic guitar solo offering momentary respite before the heat of battle once more takes over.
Chris Ross of Kold Creature and Matty Vesper of Tetrament lend their vocals as well and the three-pronged attack does little to temper the aggressive intent dripping from every note.
On Wings Of Love throws up a massive curveball in the form of an acoustic number that promises the vocal strains of Aleksandra S. It catches me off guard to be honest, but is nonetheless a welcome respite from the unrelenting fury of the preceding tracks.
It’s still musically divisive in nature, in terms of following its own flight path rather than the usual measured smoothness gravitated to by acoustic offerings.
The song is still heavier than some bands can muster at their most heavy and the mixing of electrics and acoustics is a subtle reminder that beauty and destruction can co-exist.
The double-track finale of The Last Dawn/Krilé (II) invites a huge list of guest vocal performances, united by the phrase “You and me can make history” which will no doubt be Adriatic’s new live hymn where everyone can take part in the mic grabs and singalongs. This epic track features choir performances by Diletta Luna and Ctorh. Amongst voices from the guest list in the previous songs, this track also features Ricky (ex-Deadweight 80), Chris (Psychosphere) and Wade (Virtues/Illusionary) to deliver a dramatic, almost orchestral close to the double album Koreni-Krilé.
Opening with a steady drum pattern things soon rescind into familiar territory as controlled calamity returns amid a splattering of timing and tempo changes that seems, by now, more the norm than an anomaly.
And then the second phase of the double track kicks in, a measured and controlled rhythmic passage that ushers in cleaner vocals over the top of an orchestral piece that adds yet another layer to an already convoluted evolutionary mass.
This track is almost regal in parts, drawing on the souls of each individual guest contributor and corralling them into a chasm of sonic intensity that retreats on itself gradually before finding some form of inner peace that fades into a sonic realm of oblivion that could only be understood by repeat listens.
You can certainly hear every musical nuance and disparity created by Adriatic on Krilé. It is a near-flawless offering from a band who have undoubtedly put in the hard yards.
Let’s hope justice prevails and Krilé sees them finally embraced by a global audience.
It most definitely deserves to happen.
Stream and buy a vinyl here: https://adriatic1.bandcamp.com/ or contact them directly to get a cheaper deal by picking a vinyl directly from the band.
*All reviews in HEAVY are just one person’s opinion of the album. We encourage honesty in reviews but just because our reviewer may or may not like/appreciate an album, that doesn’t mean their opinion is right! We encourage you to have a listen for yourself and make up your own minds!*
