Iceland may have established itself as one of the core hubs for mindbending black metal in recent years, but the fevered, exploratory instinct that ripples throughout the likes of Svartidauði and Misþyrming has found other new avenues too, not least in Reykjavík’s Kaleikr.
Formed from the ashes of Draugsól, Kaeikr’s forthcoming debut album, Heart Of Lead – due out via Debemur Morti Productions on February 15 – may have tinges of their black metal past, but now fused with progressive death metal to form a multi-dimensional assault that may carry traces of Gojira, Deathpsell Omega and even Opeth but nevertheless finds its own means to open up your compound third eye.
A loosely conceptual album, structured as “a journey from sadness through despair to total mental collapse,” Heart Of Lead is every bit as brain-frying as that sounds, and for intrepid explorers into the frayed edges of reason, we have an exclusive preview in soul-unstitching from of the track, The Descent. Setting off on a riff with a passing resemblance to Enslaved’s Ruun, before tumbling into cavernous dimensions and harbouring a massive groove determined drill its way up your spine, The Descent is a commanding statement of intent that erects a new and imposing citadel on the extreme metal landscape.
So without further ado, free your mind, think ‘Shit, what the fuck have I done?’ and submit to the convulsive power of The Descent below!
Visit Kaleikr's Facebook page here
And pre-order Heart Of Lead here
KALEIKR will perform live at Ascension MMXIX Festival in Iceland on June 13-16
