Oslo based sludge trio Kite have been around in some arrangement since the late 90’s and their earliest releases were an enthusiastic blend of modern alternative rock and post-hardcore that was edgeless but spirited for 2004. Look, they weren’t rapping or threatening suicide and that says a lot for the era of rock music ‘Bring Out Your Dead’ was conceived in. If you’re already on Spotify cringing at the first album you might note the second ‘The Hook, The Line, The Sinker’ (2009) was had moved towards a darker, slightly more aggressive sound. I mean it still sounds like frickin’ Chevelle but maybe that’s just me… Anyhow, Kite seems to have been a side project for the trio who featured in some pretty solid stoner/doom bands.  such as Tombstones, who featured members who moved onto fantastic doom project Hymn, as well as stoner metal band Stonegard. With most of thier other projects now essentially dead Kite rears up wearing a more serious modern sludge face.

Though I was ribbing a bit before I really like this stoner/sludge direction they’ve stretched into since 2016. Though they are Norwegian and have the requisite modern post-rock elements they are subtly used. The post-hardcore side from previous releases creeps into the cleaner vocals which occasionally remind me of Floor‘s ‘Oblation’ from a few years back. As such ‘The All Penetrating Silence’ isn’t purely a gloomy, gnarly experience but it’s big sound and some moderately heavy riffs push their style between more recent Snail records and the post-metal of later Isis and Cult of Luna releases.

The only real criticism of the EP, as an introduction to Kite‘s new sound/approach, is that it all feels buried and sleepy where I feel the material is strong enough to deserve a more dynamic kick. Or at least more punched up gusto when the post-hardcore vocals chime in. It all unfolds at one steady energy level and while the listen is pleasant, it doesn’t really shake any part of my brain loose. If you’re wired for more mellow sludge rock and stoner/doom with some post-metal atmospherics I would highly recommend ‘The All Penetrating Silence’ as a solid example.

An exaggerated subconscious. 3.0/5.0

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