This is the second album from Krosis, a deathcore band from the US.
Here we have the follow up to 2018’s Solem Vatem, and it’s a damn good one. While Solem Vatem was a solid, enjoyable release, A Memoir of Free Will finds the band levelling up in pretty much every area as far as I’m concerned.
This is modern deathcore metal that uses technical, progressive, and death metal elements to make its mark. Aspects of groove metal and djent make their way into the music too, presenting the impression of a band that want to play extreme metal, but don’t want to be restricted by it. This impression is furthered by the use of keyboards that add atmospheric layers to the band’s assault. It’s then all patched together with good songwriting skill, and a new vocalist who is far more brutal and consistent, anchoring the wide-ranging material in place.
The music alternates between atmospheric sections, use of bright melody, crushing mid-paced grooves, fiery technical workouts, straight-up deathcore belligerence, and a lot of other things. The band are arguably at their best when these elements are combined, and they do this frequently to very good effect. With an ear for dynamics, and a sense of when to turn up any of one, (or more), of the various styles they incorporate, A Memoir of Free Will is an album full of light and shade, sharp brutality and searing technicality. It’s involved and well-rounded, which also means that it doesn’t outstay its 50-minute running time, and offers something new to discover each time you spin it.
Krosis have pushed and developed their sound further on this release, and have both diversified and refined their varied attack. The resulting album is a fresh take on what deathcore can offer, not because there’s anything particularly innovative in the sense of the ingredients, but rather in the use of these ingredients and the fact that some of them have been combined at all. In a crowded sea of similar-sounding bands, Krosis stand out.
This has seriously impressed. A Memoir of Free Will is an engrossing mix of bands like The Faceless, Archspire, Rings of Saturn, Thy Art Is Murder, Fallujah, Cynic, Periphery, and Meshuggah, and is a grand step forward for Krosis. Very highly recommended for any fan of modern extremity.
Wonderbox Metal 