What do you get when crossing two death metal musicians with a power metal vocalist and the bass player of 80's epic doom metal trailblazers Candlemass??
Easy, you get a kick ass, mid tempo, drugged out but not pedestrian, time traveller of an album like any other in my collection.
Powerhouse bass player Leif Edling takes Krux well above and beyond the "side project" stigma attached by some kneejerkists to this band. Guess that any disciple of old school doom metal would rejoice when seeing one of the movement's legends standing on his own two feet with cuts of galactic proportions like Black Room, Krux or the immeasurably vast epicness of Omfalos.
Let's indeed acknowledge the contribution of Mats Levén, a trooper in his own right, veteran of collaborations with guitar virtuoso Yngwie J. Malmsteen and flowery power metal act At Vance, but perhaps more relevant to get this gig, were his past experiences with Candlemass and Abstrakt Algebra, where a past collaboration with Leif was forged.
The other two musicians are Jörgen Sandström on guitar and Peter Stjärnvind on drums. Both from Swedish death metal outfit Entombed, although Jorgen plays bass in Entombed, not guitar. Just another giveaway, if more were needed, that Krux is fronted by a bass player.
Personally I find the fifty minute duration of Krux's first effort an extremely pleasurable experience. From the hashish induced Lunochod, to the spatial landscapes of Nimis, or the more eerie and atmospheric moments evoked throughout the nine compositions in their début, Leif Edling and his cosmic wanderers never let down or fail to elevate you to a higher realm populated by ghostly bass lines, haunting vocals with a 70's hard rock charm and bestial guitar work.
Be forewarned, although Krux's capable of sending you on a time travel of astronomical dimensions, do not expect any nods to modern "doom" or incursions into "stoner" metal territory, what we have here is pure mid tempo galactic doom, loaded with enough dope fiend ammunition to slay any non believer who timidly dares to raise their fists clutching debris like My Dying Bride et al.
If you happen to like it and can't get enough of it, do not despair, Krux have, at least, another two studio albums and a live one, try looking for them here .
