Kavrila – “Rituals I” [EP] [Album Review]

When I was last in Germany, specifically in Berlin, I was struck by how much metal and hardcore punk seemed to be teeming on the streets, both in the fashion and street art, wherever I looked. But the biggest regret I have now is not being able to see this four-piece from Hamburg play a set live. Luckily I have this EP, and that’s good enough in my books.

With the kind of dark, atmospheric approach you would expect from a German group married to the kind of driven hardcore that has become part and parcel of the contemporary approach, Kavrila have crafted an EP that scratches all the itches you hope it would. It’s ethereal in ways that are completely soothing to a tormented spirit, and invigorating for all those who are hoping for something that doesn’t dive into the same tortured tropes of every hardcore band around today. Instead you get a refreshing take on a genre that sees far too much mediocre spirit masquerading as tortured misanthropy.

Perhaps that’s what I like best about this album: it doesn’t care about the recent rise in powerviolence and noise and blackened elements that everyone seems to be integrating into their sound. Instead, it’s a take on a style that somehow remains true without colouring by numbers. From the very outset of “Pain”, this EP manages to hook its claws into you, and doesn’t let go until it’s good and ready on “Night”. Easy thumbs up from me.

Track Listing:

01. Pain
02. Retch
03. Collapse
04. Night

Run Time: 12:16
Release Date: March 31, 2016

Check out the song “Retch”.