Ckraft is a French band, originally from Paris, which offers a very original sound mixture of Instrumental Jazz and Metal with melodies of the Gregorian chants. Their debut album “Epic Discordant Vision” was released on June 03, 2022 and contains 10 medium length tracks. The opener “The Loudest Victim” begins with an intricate interweaving of accordion and sax, creating an intro that quickly morphs into a solid and elaborate rhythm session track. The guitar and sax textures are refined and refined, while the drumming is powerful in Metal style, enriched by tempo changes and accelerations. The accordion and sax solo inserts are interesting, giving life to virtuous passages, as well as the guitar in the finale. The following “Restless Paradise” opens with granite guitar riffs, a powerful and modern style rhythm session, with accordion and sax that fit together giving that personal and original touch to the sound. They alternate more Prog Metal passages with other Jazz, always with a Heavy imprinting, this track enhances the band’s technique with continuous and very interesting tempo changes. “Bug Out!” it is the shortest track in duration, characterized by a tight drumming, with continuous changes of tempo and the sax at the center of the scene with melodies between Jazz and Experimentation. The winds duet with the accordion creating virtuous solo inserts with Jazz overtones, while the guitar offers heavy riffs that give body to the piece. Heavy riffs that and a killer bassline characterize the structure of “A.V.II” whose drumming is solid and elaborate, full of tempo changes. The sax gives a very Jazz imprint to the sound, counteracting the guitar and the bass, which also offers us a solo in the first part. With continuous changes of tempo and intensity, we move from a first part which is strictly Progressive Metal to a second where we notice a mixture between the immortal Gregorian melodies and Jazz, to conclude with a Prog section halfway between Rock and Metal. The title track “Epic Discordant Vision” is developed on a powerful rhythm session with modern features, heavy guitar riffs, a hypnotic and enveloping sax. The accordion is inserted with technical and frenetic incursions at the same time, while the winds offer a prolonged solo of a purely Jazz matrix. The longest track on the album “Haunted Axis” is characterized by frantic melodies that alternate with tempo changes that bring the sound to a more Experimental style. The Jazz and Metal components merge highlighting the personal traits and the compositional and executive technique. The sax is the protagonist in the solo parts and the piece is pleasant and engaging from start to finish with a solid rhythmic session and refined passages. “Ave Echidna” is characterized by heavy riffs and a massive rhythm session, an accordion background and horns that pop in giving that Jazzy feel. The central section is enriched with continuous tempo changes and refined textures that blur in the second part in a long sax solo that combines Jazz and virtuoso experimentation. A hypnotic accordion melody characterizes the intro of “Heia” on which dark and heavy guitar riffs and a rhythmic session with supporting bass lines and monolithic drumming are inserted. The sax offers another intricate solo with Jazz traits, which take the sound to another level, also enriching it with tempo changes and accelerations. An excellent mix of Prog Metal and Jazz that enhances the band’s technique and characterizes their personal style. Granitic guitar riffs open “Dead For Days” with accordion and sax duets over an ever-changing rhythm session. The track is powerful and with a penetrating bass line that blends with guitar riffs, leaving room for expression for sax and accordion solos. With very intense instrumental sections and refined passages that combine Jazz traits with the power of Metal, it is one of the most powerful tracks on the disc. The album closes with “Human Proliferation” which begins with an intro with more Experimental features, and then evolves with driving bass lines. The drumming is solid and elaborate and is enriched with accelerations and tempo changes, while the accordion offers a prolonged virtuoso solo, which subsequently leaves room for the solo sax, to end in a Metal musical crescendo. A band that mixes virtuosic technique of a Jazz style with the power of Progressive Metal with modern features, creating its own original and modern style. The presence of the accordion, whose sound is often enriched by modulations and effects, the sax and the intricate textures combine with a solid rhythm session with important bass lines and elaborate drumming. The guitar gives body to the sound with granite riffs, tracks full of ideas and changes of tempo and intensity, with long instrumental textures and very technical solos. A listening recommended for lovers of the more technical sounds of Progressive Metal, defining the genre with a very personal and original Jazz Metal. This album enhances the compositional and executive technique of the band, offering a very interesting debut, a real masterpiece of modern Metal.
Tracklist
01. The Loudest Victim (04:40)
02. Restless Paradise (03:34)
03. Bug Out! (03:31)
04. A.V.II (06:15)
05. Epic Discordant Vision (04:51)
06. Haunted Axis (06:30)
07. Ave Echidna (05:53)
08. Heia (04:55)
09. Dead For Days (05:11)
10. Human Proliferation (05:31)
Lineup
Charles Kieny / Augmented Accordion, Composition
Théo Nguyen Duc Long / Tenor Saxophone
Antoine Morisot / Electric Guitar
Marc Karapetian / Electric Bass
William Bur / Drums