KILAUEA (s/t) MCD-R
Named after a Hawaiian volcano, this heavy US-trio from Portland, OR, isn't as powerful as a volcanic eruption, but they make a very good start with this self-released five-tracker. This two guys plus one woman are playing 1970's inspired Hardrock with a doomy guitar-tone, fronted by clear, but rough male vocals. KILAUEA don't cut off the musical timeline after 1974, so that they have a timeless sound, without being rooted in a special decade of the last or current century. Basically, you can't even file them under the term Doom Metal or "Stonerrock", although they have a musical connection to both different genres. They are coming from Portland, a state which is well-known for the birth of an amount of excellent Hardcore Punk bands (Poison Idea is one of the most famous bands from there), but they don't feel inspired by them.
The more I listen to this demo, the more I find traces from The Obsessed in their music, instead of Hardcore Punk. The music here is very solid, some good riffs are always too discover, as in 'Creepy Weeds', 'Floating Gypsy Colony' or 'Sea/Land', while the band is trying to carve out an own identity, what is not easy in current times. This group will need more time, but it seems as if they don't make a lot of mistakes on their way. 'Deathfog' is a cool instrumental, with different themes, and shows that the band is also very safe on this terrain. 'Keepers of the Plague' is the most doom-influenced track here, although the vocals don't fit always to the music and aren't far away from ruining it. Good to report, that this weak moments are extremly rare, because mostly KILAUEA are a strong unit. If they would improve and develop their songwriting abilities, I think, they could gain more public attention in the future. The professional outlook of this release is a sign, that KILAUEA are interested in being more, than just a local attraction. I'll hope, to hear more of them, and a label like Small Stone would be a good choice for them. Thumbs up and good luck! Let your lava flow!
(KK)
www.kilauearock.com