North Carolina based metal label Clenched Fist Records has released the third album from Indonesia's Kekal, a hardcore trio who produce music from all over the metal spectrum. Elements of thrash, death, industrial, black, and even melodic metal are heard throughout. While comparisons will be made from bands as diverse as Judas Priest and Cradle of Filth, there is no one particular sound that hems the band in. Vocally, the delivery ranges from typical hardcore growling and screaming to more melodic singing.
Lyrically, the band deals heavily with the theme of the battle between flesh and spirit, and living as Christians in a non-Christian culture. They explore what it means for us to be the "highest creation" engaged in warfare with the powers and principalities of this world.
In the title cut, they sum much of this up as they extol their listeners to share Christ's pain and suffering on Calvary by taking up their own crosses and following Him.
Overall this is a pretty good hardcore effort, but it breaks no new ground.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #93Reviewed by Matt Morrow"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,…Art for the Ears 2002Reviewed by Marco PovervestThe Painful Experience is the third album from the Indonesian band Kekal. This black metal band was started in 1995 and with their previous releases they gathered a huge underground following. Though I had heard some of their music before, this album is the first full length to come across my path. On The Painful Experience the main part is black metal, with violent parts, combined with classic…Dead Zine 2002Reviewed by D_ListerDing-Ding, Kekal round three has just begun. This time however it's an easy CD to get your hands on having been handled in by Clenchedfist Records (bravo CFR for grabbing this band we all know and love!) The new album is called The Painful Experience and listening to it is anything but that. Kekal is a band who knows their style, maintains it but yet manages to improve themselves with each new…Similar sounding releases
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