Now with a settled line-up, Ireland’s Kraik are steadily building a following. Their previous single The Pied Piper (read my review here) was a blistering lyrical and musical attack on apathy in the modern world, forcing us to question the news we are fed on a daily basis. Displacement sees them continue to tackle weighty societal issues.
Sinister synths and wolf howl like sounds create a baleful atmosphere in the first few seconds of the track before a stomping, destructive riff crashes down. Threatening, throbbing bass notes and resounding percussion leave us in no doubt that Kraik mean business. We are instantly drawn into the uncompromising mindset they create and as vocalist Joey Dirt begins his dark sermon, the band’s intoxicating aggression is impossible to ignore. Corrupt elect, defence fallen / Enemies control your destiny / Bleeding out moral society This won't end well. With a damning indictment of the forced removal and cultural erosion experienced by indigenous people, Kraik berate corrupt government officials and suggest that the ethical and moral fabric of society is deteriorating.
Throughout the track, the guitar work from Kerry Donnelly and Shaun McGonagle is forceful and intricate, showcasing their technical prowess while maintaining a raw, unfiltered energy. There is a real feeling that Kraik are truly stretching their songwriting muscles and the rhythm section is equally as impressive, with Paddy O’Kane’s bassline labyrinthine and meticulously calibrated as it seamlessly intertwines with Nigel Colhoun’s polyrhythmic onslaught. With their serious attitude, powerful vocals, crunching riffs and rhythmic variations, Kraik share a kinship with Meshuggah and Gojira but the inherent groove in their music leans towards that of Mastodon or Pantera.
As the track progresses, Kraik drive home their lyrical message with increasingly visceral imagery and musical wrath. Joey Dirt gives his best performance for Kraik to date. Treachery on display openly / Paralyzed by fear and apathy / Grieving, seething / All that you do to escape it will never get you through to your replacement / Full to the brim with hatred. The staggering variety of vocals on display maintains the listener’s interest throughout the track: from abyssal, throaty gutturals to moments of clean vocals to screams and shrieks more akin to Travis Ryan of Cattle Decapitation. At this point, Joey threatens to tear his vocal chords such is his intense, venom-laced contempt.
With the development of their songwriting, Kraik have also become increasingly adept in structure and arrangement. Addressing a subject many of us will not have at the forefront of our minds, the quintet move through different musical sections, developing a sense of cloying claustrophobia as they refuse to let our attention wane from their cause. Displacement's urgent pleas to ‘hold on to our culture’ serves as the emotional core of the song; it is a rallying cry for the preservation of identity and heritage in the face of sometimes overwhelming odds.
Ferocious and precise and coupled with searing, socially conscious lyrics, Displacement fully realises Kraik’s wish to merge musical complexity with profound thematic depth. It should set the stage for their next step forward, a harbinger of what is to come. Their best song to date, Displacement is a raging, unrelenting juggernaut.
Displacement is out now.
Kraik online
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