It’s a rare event when a record makes us stop and return to start and listen to the damned thing in its entirety without distraction. This only happens when we have that instant visceral connection like Neo hitting the matrix for the first time. A hint of something juicy. Not a play to be missed on that big plane of events that 2023 still is for extreme music.
Meet Gabriel Cavazzini‘s new project Kahrmalia and its debut album Misanthropic Euphoric Essentia. Usually, we ain’t too fond of one-man projects. This jack-of-all-trades thing often backfires on quality and production. And very seldom only did we come across a project with a master of all trades at the helm.
Now here, Cavazzini greets us with a debut that, by his own admission, was solely concocted by the man himself. Except for Ivy Marie‘s guest vocals on Getting the Truth and Alone, of course. But – right from the beginning – the record impresses with pretty pristine production. The promo proclaimed this to be some new wave of Alternative Gothic Metal or something. And whilst the tracklist contains a true gothic streak with an often massive dose of Katatonia, you’ll find many progressive parts together with ‘core elements and some out-of-line style injections. But more to that later.
Case in point, once the intro peters out, hints of Need greet you on With My Demons, pure prog delight with a melancholy note. Living proof that both genres are indeed not mutually exclusive. And speaking about progressive some more, Someone Is Next To You dispenses some real Nevermore vibes. Now, the RMR crew often had difficulties with those stereotypical tropes Gothic Metal likes to throw at ye. The modern versions of the genre often almost bore us to tears with lackluster performance and monotonous wailing by the vocalist. Yet here, Cavazzini truly added some spice to the tune in a way we didn’t quite encounter so far. And it’s the total package on Misanthropic Euphoric Essentia that’s at awesome levels.
But let’s check out the vocals for a moment on Misanthropic Euphoric Essentia. They positively drip with pure emotion and just the right dose of downcast sorrow. Not at the levels of doom metal, but glum and dispirited enough to send us flashes of that perfect goth feel. And those kudos go to both, the man and Ivy Marie, by the way. I mean, the way she swings into action on Getting the Truth‘s chorus or the Liv Kristine-ish crooning on Alone are just paranormally good.
And it’s not only free-flowing goth-sloth thriving on black makeup, gloomy tattoos, oversized boots, and weird piercings. Heavy chugging smoothly replaces some of the djents. Then you get those seamless breaks to some ambient passage or the piano from hell that seemingly emerges from Fleshgod Apocalypse’s crazy grandmother. All of that goodness crowns itself with drum work to dream for, and sudden hardcore beats that appear out of nowhere. Speaking about which, there’s a punky side garnished with a few rap sections added to the fray (Getting The Truth). And that amazed the hell out of our review crew over here. Oh, and I almost forgot that pitch-perfect Moonspell-esque load of melancholy and stellar solo on I Will Flow. The only track that should have been purged for increased crispness is the A-ha cover Here I Stand And Face The Rain. Just sayin’.
Finally though, Misanthropic Euphoric Essentia turned into one of the surprises of 2023. This is one helluva debut that rips the bottom out of your usual Gothic Metal piece. Burly, even aggressive riffs, grand solos, and drum work that’s always straight on point. Seamless changes in between styles and an airtight arrangement to dream for backed up by a truly emotive vocal delivery. This is a high-quality record that fully deserves your undivided attention for the duration. Great album, we need more of that.
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Self-Released | Web: Facebook (band)
Release Date: 12 May 2023