Review: “Human Reification” by Konvolted

Mixed and mastered by Rich Gray (Annihilator, The Swarm, The Midgard Project) at Gray Matter Audio in England, “Human Reification” by Konvolted finds the band a truly international collective, uniting musicians from Italy, Poland, Germany, Ukraine and Finland that started life in 2021. That not being Worldwide enough, guest vocals from the legendary Kyle Thomas of Exhorder from the US and Jordan Gazeau of Cure For The Ghost from France were added to spice things up a little. The quintet, who comprise vocalist Mauricio Mirapalheta, lead guitarist Vitaliy Kozubenko, rhythm guitarist Markus Öhrlich, bassist Sebastian Kucharski and drummer Andrea Bonzini have found their music pigeonholed by critics as Groove Metal, Thrash and Old School but refuse to draw a line in the sand…

Despite their international makeup, there is something distinctively American about the Metal sound that Konvolted have forged, born of obvious influences in the late 80’s and early 90’s Thrash and Groove Metal scenes that have no doubt found people drawing comparisons with Pantera, Annihilator and Metallica. Behind the mixing desk somehow Gray has helped give the five piece a sound that is well produced with modern values but still sounds Old School, a holy grail that others have searched for are left wanting. Opening cut “Through Fog” sets the tone, Mirapalheta drawing out some of the lyrical phrasing to avoid accenting while a masterful solo from Kozubenko elevates things to a new level (of power). It’s hard not to headbang during the first listen to “Remediation“, it has all the classic hallmarks of bands like Pissing Razors, it’s earworm riff and weighty rhythms satisfying while the lyrical narrative doesn’t seem to have any particular emotive qualities. The ode to burnout that is “Overspent” changes that situation, resonating with those who suffer from being over worked and under paid before losing track of what’s really important. Riffs flow like a river to the sea, bourbon barrels of non-stop groove disappearing over Niagara Falls. Having Kyle Thomas of Exhorder on board for “Feat” is a well thought out move and far from a cameo, he’s the main vocalist a track which at it’s beating black heart has another fretboard smouldering solo from Kozubenko that is absolutely stunning. The cut feels like its from “Fueled” era Anthrax, a testament to the quality of the composition and the wide eyed nostalgia and esteem to which they are held.

Raising the tempo at the mid way point for a blistering solo “Cautery” goes from a bonfire to a towering inferno faster than you can say “hide the gasoline“. Another solid slab of Groove Metal with riffs galore and plenty of driving rhythm, it benefits from the nuanced bass bleed out in the mix to give it another texture, making it the stand out cut on the album. Here is where the underlying problem begins to bubble to the surface. While these songs are all infectious and groove laden, they’re also similar in length and stature so while each one individually is a stone cold winner, together they end up feeling a little bit to similar to give the album as a whole longevity. What’s missing is a shorter, faster, more aggressive cut, a piano introduction or an acoustic track to offer another dimension. That’s were the guest vocalists really pay off because with both of them being the main man rather than offering simply a cameo, it changes the dynamic of track they feature on. The truth is, while it’s not fresh, new or complex, it doesn’t have to be. As an album “Human Reification” is good time music, easy listening for the Jukebox in a Biker Bar, the sound track to a few beers with few old friends which won’t sound out of place slapped between of the great albums from the Terry Date era [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Through Fog
2. Remediation
3. Overspent
4. Feat (ft. Kyle Thomas of Exhorder)
5. Cautery
6. Moderate Game
7. Mockery (ft. Jordan Gazeau of Cure For The Ghost)
8. Pendulum
9. Tossed Into

“Human Reification” by Konvolted is out 1st August 2023 via Sliptrick Records and can be found over at bandcamp