5th February 2020

Under The Influence #32: Snorlax on “Alterity” by Knelt Rote!

Ain’t it funny how some music takes its time to weave it’s way into your brain and something you thought was a take it or leave it release you grow to love? On the flip side of that, isn’t it strange how some albums grab you by the hair and drag you through a hedge backwards and don’t let up until you p*** your pants, yet you love every damn second? “Alterity” by Knelt Rote is one that falls into the latter category. Over the course of three albums the band morphed from a pure Grindcore outfit to one that with a heart and soul in Blackend Death Metal. 2008s “From Without” is a furiously frenetic affair, 2010s “Insignificance” created the foundations by showing a darker atmosphere with menacing tones and 2012’s “Trespass” cemented that shift with inherent violence and angst ridden moments becoming far more focused. 6 years on and their fourth album “Alterity” explores lyrical themes of social dissolution, mental illness and even suicide with a distinct fatalistic approach. How much choice do you have in determining your fate?

Brendan Auld from Snorlax comments: “The album I wanted to talk about is Knelt Rote’s 2018 “Alterity” LP. My favorite song from the album is “Rumination”. The first time I heard this album I was immediately blown away by its intensity. After listening to it over a dozen times and sifting through all the distorted layers I became obsessed with the details compacted so smoothly into such high paced aggressive songs. The drumming is on a level of it own to begin with, Never letting up the intensity, only to be amplified by its sheer sense of urgency in the recordings. From beginning to end the “Rumination” has a triplet 3/4 Feel and it’s very consistent. The guitars are in a constant harmony battle but never cease the wall of distortion. Along with these dark tremmed guitar harmonies creating a sinister atmosphere is the vocals which use a 2 layered attached also throughout the song. (I’ve not been able to find a lot of footage of these guys online playing live and I’ve never seen them but it appears both guitarists are doing the vocals) one vocal setting down a filthy sounding layer of background high pinched screams and the other punching out the actually lyrics in a lower frequency cave man like manner. I’ve got the record and I’ve tried to look up the lyrics but….. their not legible! This song is a blatant assault on the senses, but it still retains values of a well crafted song. Giving you the exact right amount of repetition and hook in the riffs it even finished with a shortly repeated version of the intro as icing on the cake. I f***ing love it!“