Kekal

Item: The Painful Experience
Author: Matt Morrow

The Painful Experience

(2002)

Reviewed by Matt Morrow

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Label Clenchedfist RecordsHM Magazine #93January/February 2002

ambient black metal progressive metal thrash metal

"Oh Yeah!!"

"What the Heck!?!"

"Wow!"

"Is this a joke!?"

And such were many of the contradictory, stunned thoughts running through my head during the first listen to Kekal's new CD LP, The Painful Experience. The third album by this very talented Indonesian black metal band, it is likely to cause the greatest reaction from fans -- I can see Kekal gaining a lot of new listeners with this album, but I can also foresee some people jumping ship.

The band has experimented a lot on this release, especially in the vocal department. If one were to actually sit and count, you could probably come up with at least ten different vocal styles being utilized, sometimes four or five different approaches in the same song. In many ways this is a refreshing addition to their repertoire, but on a couple songs it just really fails to connect with this reviewer. However, on repeated listens, I'm getting used to the changes. The band goes from black metal screeches, to deathly growls, to angelic singing, to very high-pitched screaming that kind of sounds similar to a dying witch.

The music has just as much variety. At times you'll mosh. At times you'll dance. At times you'll probably just be confused. With deftly amalgamated doses of black metal, thrash, power, classic, and even an industrialized bonus track, the band dishes out some very interesting, very non-cheesy tunes. Extreme metal purists might throw fits with this release, but those with open minds will find much to latch on to when they allow everything to sink in.

Songs like "Mean Attraction" and "Given Words" will probably remind long time fans of why they first fell in love with Kekal. The title track is also a standout here that just bleeds with genuine catharsis. Lyrics that plead, "Does it really matter now / In this age of technology / Will you forget my pain / and refuse your suffering," strike deep to the heart of the listener. That song, along with "The Monsters Within," reminds this man of how ridiculously easy we have it here in America.

The biggest improvements the band has undergone are with heightened production values, and the use of a real drummer, instead of a drum machine. The emotional level on this album is also much greater than on previous efforts, and musically, the band is as tight and ferocious a unit as ever. Lyrically, the band stays Christ-centered, venturing into the horrible atrocities currently taking place in Indonesia.

Kekal has shown itself to be a leader in taking musical risks. The Painful Experience is not a complete success in every aspect, but it's definitely strong enough to keep me interested in hearing what they'll come up with next. Special kudos goes to Clenchedfist Records for being willing to step out on a limb, and sign an extreme band like Kekal. The metal underground is bubbling over with great talent, and this new relationship is just one of many indications that some labels out there do have good taste, and they're putting action to their words.