Tellurique

For four years since the release of "203 Barriers" Kill The Thrill managed to expand the geography of performances and circle of acquaintances, linking with gaining power of post-metal representatives like Isis and widely known at that time the Dillinger Escape Plan. It is even said that due to such close relations the next album of the band could go to Hydra Head, the label of Isis leader, but something did not work out and the new, fourth album Kill The Thrill, "Tellurique", was published by the forces of Season of Mist.

"Tellurique" can be compared to a letter received from a long-time pen-friend. Even if you have not talked for a long time, one look at the peculiarities of writing letters and symbols, the manner in which they are combined into words, the angle of inclination and the force of pressure will be enough to understand who the author of these lines is. The details can change because we all change by the events of life and age, but the general nature of the letter remains the same. So in the case of Kill The Thrill - the author's handwriting is recognized from the first seconds of the sound of the new album. As before, the group creates its material at the junction of industrial rock and metal, alternative rock and post-punk. It began to feel more experience: compared with the letter, it is clearly the handwriting of a formed person. Smooth and clear, without dancing up and down syllables and words mostly with interconnected letters, which will tell us about the developed logic and consistent thinking, and a slight inclination to the right will say about the open expression of feelings. The lines go a little down and for Kill The Thrill is characterized a real or somewhat skeptical assessment of the situation. For this reason, from the music, the sublime light harmonies, characteristic of the previous work of the collective "203 Barriers", completely disappeared, but more and more space is occupied by the background from the repeating electronic loops and samples, as if voicing the whole stultifying cyclicity of everyday life. The album is heavy for perception, musicians press on the listener without jumping from one to another but consistently and logically building their songs. More attention was paid to arrangements, "Tellurique" sounds complex, has many details and nuances, but few memorable moments, and all the melodic load lay on the vocal. Sometimes it even seems that the musicians have crossed the balance line, piling up too heavy and voluminous designs, but it is a question of the listener's preparedness for the abundance of information and individual perception.

Regardless of listening preferences and possibilities, Tellurique is a strong material with interesting solutions, modern sound and a good implementation. The first published texts give confirmation that Kill The Thrill for a long time voiced the problems of urban timelessness. Cities change their appearance, and life on their streets is bubbling, but all of this is only scenery to the statics and the oppression of the internal state of its inhabitants. Similar problems are old, like urban settlements, are very global, are characteristic of the most diverse layers of the population and are voiced by completely different creative collectives. The phrase "Philosophy of Urban Timelessness" refers to the 1997 album of Russian hardcore punks Purgen. Let the sharp punk-words from Purgen songs form differ from the texts Kill The Thrill, the meaning of the load is quite comparable. The series can be continued, placing next to the violent youth and quite successful middle-aged workers of any conveyor production and even drinkers, gathering in the yards and singing under the detuned guitar Tsoi's line like "There is time, but there is no money, and guests have nowhere to go." Each of them is unhappy in his own way, the only difference is in the means of expressing his disagreement with the situation.

Kill The Thrill make great music that is valuable in itself, without being tied to style or time, and Tellurique is one of their best records.

Originally written for http://en.hohlraum.ru