New York black metal mainstays Krallice released their eleventh full-length album, Crystalline Exhaustion, on Friday, January 28. The band continues builds on the synth-heavy sound that was established on, Demonic Wealth, their 2021 album. It’s an interesting look for Krallice, giving the music a more straightforward, atmospheric presentation than the winding avant-garde sound they’re known for.
The music still retains the same complexities and technical musicianship expected, coming to a head on the eponymous final track. The first six minutes of “Crystalline Exhaustion” feature a dance between Colin Marston’s keyboards and Lev Weinstein’s drums. The synthesizers retain their position as the dominant instrument, even when the rest of Krallice joins in.
There are points on Crystalline Exhaustion that could better be described as dungeon synth or black metal. That fresher approach, one that began on last year’s Demonic Wealth, is an interesting and welcome one. Crystalline Exhaustion is out digitally now, with pre-orders for physical copies via P2.
