Kingdom - Kingdom [2010]

Kingdom is a sludge band from Belgium. It is a side project of Amenra members

These two underground masters of the head trip combine forces for this lethal long-playing untitled track of subterranean mind games. This collaboration goes through purposefully blurred cycles of calm and anxiety that flow like a well-paced narrative. The beginning of the track is misleading because its drifting guitars, droning electronics, and occasional chimes and rumbles have a near-mystical quality. In fact, as nice as it is, I was initially afraid that an entire album of such a mood might lose its power by the time it finished.

Turns out that this was merely a false sense of security because the music suddenly takes a nasty turn after about 13 minutes. What had been calming is now discordant, the tension and volume increasing in equal measure. From there it keeps evolving subtly, coming to a harrowing peak with churning feedback amid crackling distortion. Thankfully, it mellows with a much-needed respite of cleans tones and gentle bursts of bass. This ending isn't quite soothing, but it is still effective at counteracting the gnarled tangles that preceded it. The ever-unfolding nuances of this recording are fascinating whether calm and relaxed or swollen to bewildering heights.

(from Last.fm)

Amenra with more sludge than hardcore influences. Nice and slow. Both releases of them combined: "Kingdom" and "Hemeltraan".

Kingdom - Kingdom

(Hypertension / 2010 / Sludge / 200 kbps VBR2)

Tracklist
1. Bruma 5:19
2. Cendre 4:07
3. Gemis 4:44
4. Wiech .: 3:26
5. Throne 5:38
6. .Altema 8:28
7. .Ruina.Where Men Go To Die 4:00
8. .A Quiet 7:53
9. .The Rivers Rage 5:12
10. .Elude . : 6:58

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