I actually had to do some leg work to obtain this album. Even though Kaliya hail from my home of DFW, I some how missed show after show and a even a show in which my band was suppose to open for them was cancelled due to overbooking by the venue. Eventually I caught up with the band opening for Aborted on a predominately metal bill. Their merch table was largely ignored, save for the over flow of metal-heads from neighboring tables who used the Kaliya spread as a place to set their drinks down. I think I was the only one who showed up looking to pick up Kaliya's newest release.
Kaliya's 2015 self-titled CD is way more than just a coaster for some dipshit's half empty PBR. It's a great release from probably Dallas' best kept secret in underground extreme music. Combining equal parts hardcore, metal and melodic grindcore, Kaliya are a refreshing and dynamic addition to the Texas grindcore scene while avoiding the metalcore aspects of other bands that they've been compared to on the web. Lately Kaliya has been playing a string of shows to promote the band's new CD after lying seemingly dormant since their 2011 release, Annihilator.
Manning the kit and thus putting the "grind" in Kaliya's death-grind cocktail, Jesse Fletcher is a leveled hand of precession and fluidity. His collected and composed style of drumming is in direct contrast with his speed and high quality blast beats. Fletcher blasts with a steadfast bounce that I wish more grindcore bands utilized instead of spastic snare thrashings. Like his speed, his versatility is just as impressive. Steering the helm, so to speak, from song to song, he shifts from d-beats, more mid paced tempos tractored under by flying double bass pedals and even commands the album's slower dirges with heavy, doom laden spills. The ladder two of which allow the death metal and the hardcore root work to shine to the forefront. It's clearly the trifecta of genres that lends to this albums awesomeness.
The viney network of death metal roots are mostly thanks to seeds sowed by tandem guitarists Thomas Booe and Ben Cooper. Wether it be the expeditious, palm muted riff intros, the whining throwback solos or the melodic leads that bleed through the songs, these guys are responsible for a mojority of the metal sound. The melodic guitar overlays aren't in the vein of Nasum, but hint more towards a blackened metal. You know, it sometimes kind of reminds me of an evil NOFX lead in a way (no disrespect guys.) On the flip side, their crunchy tone and chugging riffs lend credence to the hardcore style imbedded in Kaliya's breakdowns. And these guys are not afraid to break it down.
Vocally, Tyler Berry is amazing. His harsh style of vocals remind me a lot of Naplam Death's Barney Greenway's later work. That is if Barney had Tyler's range. His low, gruff roars are pretty much standard here. But he pilfers through a throaty bag of tricks that rotate from an even lower guttural to a scratchy high. A Mark Hunt is recorded on the album as back up vocals so it gets a little convoluted on who's doing what. Hunt might be responsible for the goregrind, rabid dog vocals. I'm not sure. What I do know is the vocals aren't just poured over grind tracks willy-nilly. The sound and style seem to show up exactly when and where they are needed. It's a subtle but effective trick and a veteran move.
Kaliya's self-titled album is a texturally layered piece of death-grind. There's a lot going on here and this is a great CD by some very talented musicians. While this album isn't a straight blast fest it is way more encompassing than just your average grindcore record. It's also on the less frantic end of grind and seems to be more stable. More mature. If I had to find a fault, and I feel I'm obligated to, I'd say Mike Arnold's bass is mostly in the background and is token. However this is nothing new in grindcore. Anyways, this is top notch Dallas death-grind. Don't you dare call it deathcore!
FFO: Napalm Death, Phobia, Pig Destroyer
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