Khaoz - I, Creator of Damnation

KHAOZ- I, Creator of Damnation (GODEATER - CD 2015)

I remember that I had the previous album from Khaoz, titled “Salvation Through Bloodshed” (released on Polish Mad Lion) and damn, I did not like it so much haha! I even checked this morning my review, which I wrote two years ago, to see what was that I didn’t like about Khaoz music… well, I gave the album 4/10 and just complained on quite few things. Meanwhile, here’s the newest album from the band, titled “I, Creator of Damnation” (this time released on Godeater), and I can say that the band developed in good direction, but one major factor, which caused my total dislike of the debut is still here, so I am afraid that the album number also won’t belong to my favourites.

I don’t want to sound too harsh on these guys… especially as some things have improved and this time I give them 6/10. Well, surely there are some really good songs, like in “Ravishing KhaoZ” which almost reminds me such Morgoth, “..and Forever Madness” or “Creator of Damnation”. I do must admit that the performance of each musician of Khaoz – guitarists, drummer, bassist – is very good, they surely are good technically and know how to play their instruments. The band not only reminds me Morgoth, but also mixed death with thrash metal, not really in the old school way, but more modern fashion... and that’s maybe not something what I tend to listen and enjoy often, but musically it isn’t terrible. It’s rather solid and decent.

The production is also quite good, I can’t say anything bad about it. So, what is really wrong with Khaoz? Well, thing which I HATE about their music – and which unfortunately hasn’t changed since the previous album – are the vocals. Damn, they are fuckin bad! The band decided to use one of those dual vocal performances; two vocalists, of which one has a nice, low growl. But the majority of the album has been sang with that totally fuckin annoying shrieky, harsh scream, which I just cannot stand. Damn it, I really must say that the vocals basically destroy the whole album, the whole effort of the band is vanished as all impression I take from listening to it is something like “oh man, shut up!”. Sorry to say so, but that’s just my opinion. I don’t like it and it’s maybe one of the very rare occasions, when I can say things like that… It’s annoying, especially as musically that death / thrash is really not bad and the band improved a lot, got better musically from the debut album. But damn, I don’t care really. I’ve listened to “I, Creator of Damnation” several times and have enough of this band for good. Wasted chance. Please, get rid of that vocalist now.

Standout track: “Ravishing KhaoZ”, “Creator of Damnation”

Final rate: 60/100