Karg – Traktat

It’s amazing the way bands are dealing with many emotional elements that allow them to tell stories and to be faithful to life itself. Extreme Metal bands got real masters in adding complex emotions into their songs. Bands are now dealing with a complex of  despair, anger, wrath, fear, despair and many others. For that reason, other musical influences had to be added to Metal. Some of them are near, others not so much. The irony of it all is that some influences were chosen due to the main characteristics of the emotion the band wants to pass. For instance, for anger, punk rock or hardcore; for sadness and despair, gothic, and go on. Heavy music because the distorted guitars and vocals is perfect to express emotion. The thing is that bands build up the so-famous contradictions – or dialects – I always say.

Karg in “Traktat” chose gothic to mix their features of anger plus despair and some delicate textures of sweet or bitter-sweet at best near melancholy. Those elements all together are the drive to “Traktat.” Most of the time the guitars follow 1980’s gothic features using strummings mixed with mild distortion embellished by clean guitars giving the desired melancholy. Vocals are something apart. In “Jahr ohne Sommer” they go beyond despair. They express a misery that few songs can express. The way vocalist J.J. imposes his voice takes the fan to place nobody wants to be. A great example of how the voice fits perfectly the intention. And Black Metal is master in dealing with this kind of emotion. Moreover the disillusion “Jahr ohne Sommer” posits takes the fan by the guts. It’s impossible not to feel it. The language – German –  also helps a lot. Things seem to be more desperate when told in German.

All the nine songs are long. As their 1980s gothic peers, there are few guitar solos “Traktat.” Well, the so-called post Black metal bands use to have few guitar solos in their songs. It works for them, however. Karg are a band for those are about to black. This is the album to show your friend that wishes to go Metal, but still doesn’t have the guts. The delicate, but fierceful, textures sometimes with violins as in “Stolperkenotaphe” are perfect to whom is a newcomer.

Karg  “Traktat” will be released on February 07th via AOP Records.

Track Listing:

1. Irgendjemand wartet immer
2. Jahr ohne Sommer
3. Stolperkenotaphe
4. Alaska
5. Abgrunddialektik
6. Alles was wir geben mussten
7. Grabcholerik
8. Tod, wo bleibt dein Frieden
9. Nichts als Schatten

Watch “Irgendjemand wartet immer” official video here: