Harrowist – Karakorum LP (Grazil Records)

You probably caught up with my recent write-up about Murska Zadruga split release. I wrote about an opening band that blew me away with their unique sound. Now I am returning in 2021 and talking about their debut full-length release. Karakorum is not another ordinary collection of songs chained closely by the metalcore term. Harrowist is not another metalcore band at all. These guys know what they’re doing since their inception, and that’s vividly hearable in their tracks. You’ll immediately hear these guys are not joking around and this set of songs prove that more than anything else. Therefore, I would like to talk about the Karakorum a little bit more today.

Karakorum possesses so many impressive moments that are nearly impossible to grasp them all in only one listening. Harrowist know how to assemble perfect tracks that embrace many genres in a colossal slab of harmonious noise. The band pays homage to the early nineties metalcore sound, but you’ll undoubtfully hear how some other complementary subgenres interfere throughout the entire album. Genres like classic hardcore punk, neo-crust, d-beat, doom metal, and sludge metal are just some of the ingredients lurking in the mix, but maybe you’ll also notice other influences. Many things are going on every track, and you can only imagine how delicate the entire material truly is. The most significant thing about this album is that Harrowist perfectly balanced every aspect of their debut.

I have to admit these riffs are tight. The band invested many ideas while assembling these riffs, but Harrowist don’t stop there. You’ll hear some melodies throughout this material, but the group tends not to overwhelm primary metalcore direction. Still, some of these melodies define particular moments and give them a slightly different ambiance. The bass lurks around right beneath the guitar and provides more than necessary massiveness that this genre unquestionably needs. These two instruments perfectly match together in the mix, and you’ll get the impression that you’re listening to one musician instead of two.

Vocals are adding even more aggression over the top with powerful shoutouts. Like the abovementioned instruments, these shoutouts also match the remainder of the orchestrations. Exceptional drumming performance keeps everything in line with a comprehensive collection of rhythmic sequences, accentuations, and fills. Continuous splashing over the cymbals gives even more depth, dirtiness, and dynamics to these excellent songs. There’s no doubt in my mind you will dearly hold this release as one of your favorites in your vinyl collection, so head over to Grazil Records for more information about ordering.