Livarkahil
We were recently put on to Parisian death metal unit, Livarkahil, letting us know about their offering, Wrath Of God. Formed in 2007, the band have been increasing their audience and outlook ever since, playing throughout France, Belgium and Switzerland and showing that they’re a force to be reckoned with on the live scene. We were sent through a copy of their album so figured we’d better check out what was going on for ourselves.
The opening moments of Eternal Sun don’t give a lot away about what’s to follow, simply offering up a lead guitar line and suggesting that what is to come is going to be dark and ominous. Building the sound with an organ behind everything, the mix slowly grows, enveloping you in a cloud of darkness as gradually, the track builds as different elements are thrown in – and then it breaks! Throwing down into a melee of rolling drums, pounding bass rhythms, dark ominous backing guitars and an insanely heavy riff, the track suddenly launches you into a pit of all out devastation. As soon as the full force of this track is realised it’s clear to see how these guys have built the reputation they have, it’s a dark and distorted mix of sheer power, destruction and distortion – and it works damned well!
Through Hatred And Devotion continues this idea, continuing to keep the mix firmly on the heavy side of things and showing that this is a force not to underestimate. Powerful from the moment this track kicks off, this one is a no holds barred assault on the ears, hammering out pounding drum lines, insane riffs, roaring vocals and pummelling bass rhythms. There’s going to be those who say that this is simply too heavy, but I think it works to keep the listener engaged, moving through the different motions of the track to craft something that’s both heavy and dark, yet accessible at the same time. Deny Your God pretty much continues this in the exact same way, once again launching us head first into a pit and not letting us out until the band are fully done with us. Harnessing all of the power of the different elements of the band, this is one which is going to leave you breathless, fearing that what you’ve just heard is going to come and chase after you rather than let you escape. Personally, I love the sheer amount of power on display here as it shows a band that understand their music, understand their instruments and use them all to craft a sound which is like war in musical form.
Devotion comes up as the penultimate track on the album, hammering onwards with their distorted onslaught from the word go and barely allowing you a moment to catch your breath. Powerful doesn’t quite seem to cut it with this track as simply, there’s far more to this than just power. Throwing in dark elements once again to form something which is insanely heavy, yet packed with moments of dark and ominous melody, this track stands out to me as a serious high point on the record, showing that Livarkahil know what they’re doing, and do it damned well. It’s only then left to title track Wrath Of God to close things, finishing on a seriously distorted note and leaving no doubt that this band are out to take over the world with their dark and mysterious mixture of death metal orientated riffs.
As I said before, there’s going to be those that say that Livarkahil are too heavy or over the top, but personally I think their sound is pretty cool, it’s got that death metal vibe which lifts it beyond heavy and to a different place where there’s also a real sense of melody in things. Sure this is dark, sure this is distorted, but give it a chance and you might just be surprised – next time you’re in Europe this is one to check out.
To find out more about Livarkahil, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
The opening moments of Eternal Sun don’t give a lot away about what’s to follow, simply offering up a lead guitar line and suggesting that what is to come is going to be dark and ominous. Building the sound with an organ behind everything, the mix slowly grows, enveloping you in a cloud of darkness as gradually, the track builds as different elements are thrown in – and then it breaks! Throwing down into a melee of rolling drums, pounding bass rhythms, dark ominous backing guitars and an insanely heavy riff, the track suddenly launches you into a pit of all out devastation. As soon as the full force of this track is realised it’s clear to see how these guys have built the reputation they have, it’s a dark and distorted mix of sheer power, destruction and distortion – and it works damned well!
Through Hatred And Devotion continues this idea, continuing to keep the mix firmly on the heavy side of things and showing that this is a force not to underestimate. Powerful from the moment this track kicks off, this one is a no holds barred assault on the ears, hammering out pounding drum lines, insane riffs, roaring vocals and pummelling bass rhythms. There’s going to be those who say that this is simply too heavy, but I think it works to keep the listener engaged, moving through the different motions of the track to craft something that’s both heavy and dark, yet accessible at the same time. Deny Your God pretty much continues this in the exact same way, once again launching us head first into a pit and not letting us out until the band are fully done with us. Harnessing all of the power of the different elements of the band, this is one which is going to leave you breathless, fearing that what you’ve just heard is going to come and chase after you rather than let you escape. Personally, I love the sheer amount of power on display here as it shows a band that understand their music, understand their instruments and use them all to craft a sound which is like war in musical form.
Devotion comes up as the penultimate track on the album, hammering onwards with their distorted onslaught from the word go and barely allowing you a moment to catch your breath. Powerful doesn’t quite seem to cut it with this track as simply, there’s far more to this than just power. Throwing in dark elements once again to form something which is insanely heavy, yet packed with moments of dark and ominous melody, this track stands out to me as a serious high point on the record, showing that Livarkahil know what they’re doing, and do it damned well. It’s only then left to title track Wrath Of God to close things, finishing on a seriously distorted note and leaving no doubt that this band are out to take over the world with their dark and mysterious mixture of death metal orientated riffs.
As I said before, there’s going to be those that say that Livarkahil are too heavy or over the top, but personally I think their sound is pretty cool, it’s got that death metal vibe which lifts it beyond heavy and to a different place where there’s also a real sense of melody in things. Sure this is dark, sure this is distorted, but give it a chance and you might just be surprised – next time you’re in Europe this is one to check out.
To find out more about Livarkahil, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls