Kaiser - 2nd Sound

Kaiser is a stoner metal band from Finland, who formed in 2013. Their latest release, the appropriately  titled “2nd Sound,” is the band's second full-length album. They have also released an EP and a split.

“2nd Sound,” is huge and dirty, combining elements of doom and good ol rock and roll. With such a description, I was expecting a lot of riffs and groove. Well, got a planet sized load of riffs and grooves. Vocalist Otu handles the guitar and apparently can use it to form entire mountain ranges of stoner heaviness. 

It isn't just the guitars that are glorious–Pex's bass guitar it's an entity in of itself. RiQ's drums offer a lot as well—giant swarms of sound created by thumping bass and a catchy hard rock aesthetic that makes every song catchy as they are heavy.

The album opens with “Brotha,” and it immediately settles in with sharp, bombastic drums. The groove backs it up as it melds with the guitar. The synergy between the rhythm and leads is fantastic and is often the glue that binds the album together. Otu's vocals are varied, offering laid back cleans, rougher shouts and even some screams. The middle part of the song is the band at its best: catchy riffs and a devastating low end.

“Meteorhead” displays the bands chops at being psychedelic with a hypnotic opening. But the drums keep it all grounded while the song's intensity begins to boil over.  It finally spills out in the later half with an urgent guitar harmony that transforms into a blazing solo. Meanwhile, it's all boosted by an impenetrable rhythm force.

As hard as the album rocks, it does offer a well-written and surprisingly atmospheric song in the form of “Stood Still.” It's hazy, mysterious and a little tribal. Its placement in the listing is perfect, offering a nice distraction from the more intense songs that it's sandwiched in between. 

The song is followed by one of the album's best: “Awaken Monster.” Indeed, this song awakens the danger from the band and offers a banger. The build up is great but can't really prepare you for the sledgehammer bass. The lead guitar heightens the riffs with a really cool vibe that's both psychedelic and engaging. After the 3:10 mark, the song lights itself on fire, pulling out all the stops with riffs for days, clever leads, and a bass/drum combination that leaves wreckage behind.

The final song, “Aftershock” is my favorite on the album. It's long, slow, low and the doomier than a really doom thing.  The bass between the expressive vocal lines drives a simple but hard beat, holding it all together as the drums push it enough to bring out heavy riffs.  The lead guitar is very well done, adding just a slight hint of adventurous flair to spark the imaginative songwriting.  Around the 3:30 mark to the 6:53 mark, the band throws in a long passage that isn't too far removed from drone…..it's utterly perfect.  The guitars are suffocating, the drums pounding the outside of this claustrophobic sphere, only to bring about a new kind of horror. After a soft passage, the guitar cuts lose with a lead solo that cuts a wide swath through the song. 

Kaiser's “2nd Sound” Is a confident, convincing album with a mammoth sound that is quite dynamic yet very well grounded. This album will appeal to fans of doom, rock, stoner and just about anyone who wants to bang their head.

Rating:  Great