KORUM

    Son Of The Breed

   - 8.5 -

KORUM hails from France, a country that has not been known for its stellar metal bands (only CARCARIASS and SYMBYOSIS come to mind).  However, the band and their label, Sekhmet Records (I believe Kris, the bassist and one of the vocalists for KORUM, is one of the key people at the label) seem determined to make fans of Progressive/Technical Death Metal take notice by signing such killer bands as KORUM, COPROFAGO, and the mighty MARTYR!

KORUM is, without a doubt, my favorite Progressive/Technical Death Metal band that incorporates a fair amount of Grind into its music.  In general, I do not care for blast beats and screamed vocals.  I prefer the less grating gruffness of Death Metal vocals to the often annoying screams of Hardcore, Grind, and Black Metal.  I often view vocals as another rhythm instrument, and screaming does not fit that bill very well.  KORUM utilizes both types of vocals - screams and growls.  Often, both styles are alternately used in the same song.  Since two vocalists (Olivier and Kris) are listed on the CD booklet, I assume that one guy is the screamer and the other guy is the growler.  Although I prefer the growls, the screams do not really detract from my enjoyment of Son of the Breed, primarily because the music is just so damn good.

The music reminds often reminds me of an amalgamation of SADUS, circa A Vision of Misery and  ATHEIST, circa Unquestionable Presence, with an infusion of brutality perhaps akin to DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN.  The screams actually remind me of the vocalist in SADUS, which is not a good thing in my book, but he is thankfully less annoying.  The very up-front and awesome work of bassist Kris is the key element that recalls SADUS and ATHEIST, although the quirky riffing is reminiscent of some of ATHEIST’s best work.  I actually like Son of the Breed almost as much as Unquestionable Presence, which is commonly hailed as a Progressive/Technical Metal classic.  The drumming and guitar playing on Son of the Breed are as equally impressive as the performance on bass.

All of the ten songs on Son of the Breed are impressive, but the listener does not get to enjoy them for long.  The disc is only 33 minutes long, so each song speeds by you rather quickly.  Fortunately, KORUM pack plenty of intricate music in each tune to keep you playing the disc over and over.  This is actually one of the few cd's that I occasionally listen to twice in succession.  Obviously, like AYDRA’s awesome release Icon of Sin, Son of the Breed’s short running time lends itself to repeat listening.  However, the musical complexity, unique approach, and catchiness of KORUM are really what keep me coming back for more.  All fans of Technical/Progressive Death Metal need to check these guys out.  I eagerly look forward to hearing what these Frenchmen come up with next.
 
 
 

Contributed by John Frank

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