31st July 2024

Review: “Telos” by Kodama

After a pair of EPs in 2018’s self titled and 2020’s “Left Hand Path” paved the way it’s time for St Albans natives Kodama to unveil a debut full length album in “Telos” with all the promise of it being a crowning glory. Mixed and mastered by Myroslav Borys (Monasteries, Martyr Defiled, Borders) at Jigsaw Audio who has been their studio guru for the majority of their sonic creations, the record is built on not only those sonic foundations in Groove Metal laced Metalcore but also a weight of other experiences. A run to the finals of Metal 2 The Masses for an opportunity to play the New Blood stage at Bloodstock has only served to make them hungrier for more, as has 58.5k of Spotify and YouTube streams for fans favourite “Set In Stone“. Drawing influence from across the Metal spectrum, or as they put it, from Metallica to Meshuggah, they seek to combine their shared passion for old school riffs with a few spices…

Having put in the hard yards and honed their craft while turning stages to sawdust over the past six years it doesn’t come as any surprise that “Telos” is an album of bullets and octane from start to finish of which Kodama should be very proud. There are obvious comparisons throughout to the work of their peers with the last two records from Sylosis and “Ashes Of The Wake” era Lamb of God with what they do here but they are far from copycats. Venomous vocals lines from Neil Baily give “Weight of Attrition” a real cutting edge and as the glorious riffs begin to pile up you begin to wonder what would happen if they relocated to America. There is no accenting in these songs to give away where they hail from and they have everything in their armoury to follow Confessions Of A Traitor and invade the land of the free. After the punchy opening cut the bands love of Thrash is showcased with “Mark of Titans” which has a few old school licks and a tasteful sweeping solo. It wouldn’t have been out of place in the 2003 era of American Metalcore influenced by the Gothenburg Sound and has a timeless quality to it as it storms the gates. Kodama don’t reinvent the wheel, they take it as they find it and add top quality tyres and snow chains in embellishment as the extended leads in the first half of “Astral Blood” shine. A “bleigh!” moment and some fleeting Death Metal blasting from Nik Stojkov add another dimension to a song that has Progressive Metal leanings, the band not afraid to experiment as they see fit.

The chugs of “Sinner” in the context of this album bring to mind Unearthed in the way that Kodama bring together Thrash, Metalcore and Groove Metal, the crushing riffs as Bailey screams about his soul descending down to hell a headbangers delight. There is respite is a vibrant melodic lead passage in the middle of the song before the band break back in style. An air of confidence flows through the heart of the material, the band not only nailing each part but injecting their live energy into it in the process. An introduction with sinister overtones ushers in “All We Have is Now” and the band deliver another powerhouse cut to add to to their glowing repertoire for the live arena. A vibrant virtuoso solo a moment of flamboyance that is both mesmerising and totally unexpected but not out of keeping with this offering. Could Bailey’s harsh vocals work on a cut with Traditional Heavy Metal riffs? Evidence that they do is submitted in “Second Sight” with a clenched fist of defiance as they refuse to bow down to the naysayers who say the tune needs clean vocals. A slick transition into a stompy Thrashier section in which riff slingers Mike Goring and James Lam trade punches is masterfully done and gives this one the kind of fitting conclusion that other bands would kill for. It’s time for us to pull out a cliché or two and describe “Telos” as all killer no filler while variety is the spice of life as both are true as “Carbon Copy” offers up some Post-Hardcore inspired riffs as it goes hell for leather. Oh and there is that Mic drop…

Returning to the heavier riffs “Fracture Line” crushes all that dare to stand in its path with mosh pit friendly parts from the very start. Rampaging riffs and more fleeting blast beats put this one in Bleed From Within territory before making way for the lethal “Control“. A cut that is already a live favourite having premiered some 18 months ago, it has arguably the finest vocal performance from Bailey on it. Perhaps its the atmospheric harsh whispers or the Randy Blythe inspired moments but when accompanied by a storm of staccato riff breaks and pummelling percussion that all works in perfect harmony, their can be no questions asked. These tunes to help you breathe more easily have been refined and redefined in the rehearsal space to create the bands finest offering to date and the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into it bleed through the bandages. If you thought that Kodama might be tempted to pull out a cheesy 80’s Hair Metal number with “Dead of Night“, you’d better guess again. They don’t deviate from the tried, tested and true formula and instead deliver slick and aggressive tune with a dark and ominous atmospheric that breaks with lead guitars and has high class bounce laden ending. You don’t want this, you needed it [8.5/10]

Track Listing