Skip to content

www.GRIZZLYBUTTS.com
Main navigation
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • FAQ / Contact
terraasymmetry June 20, 2018 Heavy Metal, Reviews

Kuilu – Monumentti (2018) REVIEW

Ever an offering to the self-deprecating abyss of existence Lappeenranta, Finland based project Kuilu have spent nearly a decade groaning their defeated echoes from the pit of modern black metal’s greatest depressive chasms. At once embodying the resigned lilt of depressive black metal, the searching rhythms of modern atmospheric black metal, and now some elements of atmospheric sludge metal Kuilu‘s style is a soundtrack meant for the patiently defeated, music that’ll best connect with the most dejected and sour moments life has to offer. Grief, loneliness, and quiet self-defeat felt on their ‘Haudalla/Virta’ EP all seemed to stem from the same corners of the mind that inspired groups like Austere and Verge. As Kuilu further developed their sound with a demo in 2014 so began a notable loftier ambition realized in full on ‘Monumentti’.

A certain frustration guides the hand of Kuilu‘s debut full-length through waves of naked emotion and passive-aggressive resentment. It is almost certainly meant to evoke Sisyphean plight and frustration, and achieves as much. Some looming threat is felt in the resounding basslines and measured drumming of ‘Monumentti’ which form useful cinematic builds through four 10-14 minute tracks. Although I am highly reminded of more recent work from Hypothermia, with extended compositions and dour atmospheric ambition, Kuilu is a reserved and looming entity too structural to warrant any sort of 30-40 minute meander. The struggle conveyed through the music gives purpose greater than musical fancy, and in this way ‘Monumentti’ appears genuine even when toying with typical depressive black metal sounds.

The first two listens were absolutely a nightmare for me. Though I found their early EP and demo palatable and unique enough for atmospheric black metal this full-length insists upon concerted listening and focus. Each track offers both beauteous climb and descent but like any timely atmospheric metal does in 2018 but also jagged moments, rocks to crack one’s skull upon, that offer challenge and interest. So, in times of distraction ‘Monumentti’ tugged at my attention while insisting I watch my step. It wasn’t until I gave Kuilu my full attention that it’s corrosive, doom-like qualities began to surface it’s greater value. None of this is complaint at all and I appreciate the ringing, dissonant roughage that found it’s way into the project’s writing by 2016, when the album was recorded.

“Sisyfos” and “Madot” are affecting as a monumental pairing and serve as the most needled-over, complex compositions of the record. ‘Monumentti’ immediately expresses some greater shift in focus and ‘serious’ execution from Kuilu. The production has some of the organic clangor of Oranssi Pazuzu, complete with vivid basslines at the throat of the mix, and this makes “Sisyfos” a high point for my taste. From there the crawling build of “Madot” sparks the peak of the record for me as it builds towards release and sustains only for 2-3 minutes before dissolving. The final two tracks are no less dynamic or interesting but I found myself pacing my listens with two songs at a time, as I often do when obsessing over a length funeral doom record. That’d ultimately be my endorsement for Kuilu‘s debut, that it tapped into my dysthymic catharsis without stabbing a finger into the eyes of self-pity, and instead provided challenge and virtuous guitar work worthy of re-examining over several listens. Even if you’re not such a technician, or analytical fool, ‘Monumentti’ offers melancholic black metal with commendable strength and challenge enough to differentiate from their peers.

a2168359185_10

Artist Kuilu
Type Album
Released May 5, 2018
BUY/LISTEN on Kuilu’s Bandcamp! Follow Kuilu on Facebook
Genres
Atmospheric Black Metal,
Depressive Black Metal,
Post-Metal

Punishment in the underworld. 3.75/5.0

<strong>Help Support Grizzly Butts’ goals with a donation:</strong>

Please consider donating directly to site costs and project funding using PayPal.

$1.00

Please Share, Like & Retweet:

  • Tweet

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in Heavy Metal, Reviews and tagged 2018, atmospheric black metal, atmospheric black metal 2018, atmospheric metal, black metal, black metal 2018, black metal review, black metal reviews, depressive black metal, depressive suicidal black metal, deviant records, deviant records 2018, deviant records germany, deviant records kuilu, deviant records new release, deviant records review, finland, finnish atmospheric black metal, finnish black metal, finnish metal, grizzly butts, grizzlybutts, kuilu, kuilu 2018, kuilu album, kuilu album review, kuilu atmospheric black metal, kuilu bandcamp, kuilu black metal, kuilu deviant records, kuilu finland, kuilu full album, kuilu monumentti, kuilu monumentti 2018, kuilu monumentti 2018 album, kuilu monumentti 2018 review, kuilu monumentti album, kuilu monumentti album review, kuilu monumentti bandcamp, kuilu monumentti deviant records, kuilu monumentti full album, kuilu monumentti review, kuilu review, monumentti, monumentti 2018, monumentti 2018 review, monumentti album, monumentti album review, monumentti bandcamp, monumentti deviant records, monumentti full album, monumentti kuilu, monumentti review, opinion, post-metal, review, review 2018, Reviews. Bookmark the permalink.
Website Powered by WordPress.com.
Footer navigation
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Secondary navigation
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Search

Post navigation

RETRO TUESDAYS: Miscreant – Dreaming Ice (1994)
Shambles – Primitive Death Trance (2017) REVIEW

Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Press Esc to cancel.

  • Follow Following
    • grizzlybutts.com
    • Join 121 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • grizzlybutts.com
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: