On their snarling new self-titled album, the Los Angeles-area group Keverra have crafted one of the honestly standout noise rock records of the year. They’ve got a core of gripping rock melody, and they perform these immersive elements with a rabid ferocity that’s immediately enrapturing. The drum patterns consist of strikingly intricate cacophonies, and the riffs feel like they’re capturing the same furiously blasting spirit as the drums. The music feels like it’s sonically capturing what must be just about the most ferocious live show experience imaginable, since, truly, the energy in this album feels infectiously electric.
Keverra frequently sound huge. They funnel their catchy ferocity into the texture of super meaty riffs that feel drawn from the heaviest, sludgiest metal or the most ferociously pummeling hardcore. The catchy difference here hinges on the fact that the band kick these textures into a whirlwind of refreshingly jarring and immersive energy — although that’s not all that’s present on their catchy new record.
Keverra also utilize apt dynamics to keep listeners enthralled. For example, on the standout third track, called “Bathsheba,” the band launch into super heavy, thunderous blasts of riffing in opening segments, but they soon veer into more extended, atmospheric performances, with a steady tension running through the whole piece. Over on “Object to Be Destroyed,” the band devolve their sound into overall comparatively slower riffing, but the superb beastliness remains and the whole track oozes with captivating menace. The dynamic swings down towards the softer end of the spectrum amplify the impact of the more rabid points of the band’s music.
Ultimately, the fist-pumping maelstroms are both super heavy and super catchy as the roared, distorted-sounding vocals reverberate out with ferocious intensity like the speaker has decided to traverse through a precarious, even dangerous portion of some decrepit city area. The riffing and swirling drum blasts have the looming intensity of rubble piling up at an erratic pace. Keverra mostly stick to dialing up this beastly ferocity to a magnificent degree rather than diving into the more brazenly chaotic elements of the noise rock realm. They’ve truly made their creation startlingly catchy, even amidst the onslaught — and it’s a great time.
5/5 Stars
Check out the music below! Keverra is available via Seeing Red Records.
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