29th November 2024

Review: “Misery Plague” by Kreital

How many two piece Black Metal bands do you know from Middletown Township in New Jersey? You can probably count them on the fingers of a leapers hand. The mysterious cloaked figures of Kreital have other ideas however and with the help of Benjamin B.P. Karas (Thank You Scientist, Slaughtersun, Windfaerer) at Frost Guantlet Studios, who recorded, mixed and mastered their debut EP “Misery Plague” they plan to put the town on the map. For all the wrong reasons. The duo are simply known as J.K. on drums and vocals and J.F. on guitars and bass with Funeral Tower Art providing a suitably bleak piece to adorn the record.

A meandering almost medieval acoustic guitar introduction provides a false sense of security before the plague winds of Black Metal are accompanied by a bloodthirsty roar as “Autumns Final Rest” begins this burnt offering from Kreital. Blast beats and ferocity isn’t all they have in their arsenal however as the duo embellish tremolo picked riffs with a few moments in the Melodic Death Metal register. The purposefully raw mix provides an ocean of charm, the vocals partially buried by the malevolent instrumentation. Scalding vocals which are clean enough that you can hear every word but harsh enough to make you wince bring “Misery Plague” to life like an adrenaline injected corpse. Dark melodies swirl with a foreboding warmth before breaking into Blackened Hardcore Punk riffs in the mid section that offers flavours of Mayhem. Benjamin B.P. Karas then provides a passage of enthralling violin as the song transcends into Blackened Folk Metal with an almost cinematic edge and you wonder just how the duo arrived at this point. A truly captivating song that moves effortlessly through an unholy trinity of Metal subgenres it’s an absolute pleasure.

A melancholia of Scandinavian roots gives life to “To Heal An Open Wound“, the soundscape serving to chemically enhance the aching pain of the lyrical narrative in the finest possible way. There are a couple of fleeting hints at Post-Hardcore influences underneath it all, perhaps suggesting that the duo might be in other bands with the mystery around who they are allowing them more artistic freedom. Either way, the cut is a piece of sombre majesty that everyone can enjoy. In a tip of the hat to one of their no doubt many influences, Kreital take on the almighty “Burning Voice Adoration” by Finnish masters Sargeist, the original appearing on 2010’s “Let the Devil In“. 28 seconds longer than the original this rendition is tasteful and very much in keeping with the sound of the record as a whole so it doesn’t sound out of place. A whirlwind of percussive battery, melancholia soaked riffs and caustic vocals it’s a genre tour de force, even if it is clear the duo will need to grow into a five piece if they wish to play these tunes live. An impressive debut to say the least [7.5/10]

Track Listing