Behold Klaymore. A band hailing from Pittsburgh, Klaymore have recently crossed my path. They were familiar to me in name only and even then not so much when I was asked to review their latest EP, Klaymore – It’s Alive 5th Anniversary Edition. I took to the net prior to jumping into the listen for some background info on Klaymore. It appears that the band formed back in 2007 according to The Metal Archives (Encyclopaedia Metallum), but in 2010 by the band’s Facebook page. Either story means I’ve been asleep at the wheel, only just now (7-10 years later) coming to terms with Klaymore. It seems there have been some roster adjustments throughout their tenure, with the driving force being Lee Prisby. Currently alongside Prisby (vocals/guitar) is: Dan Sudano (guitar), George Kipilo (bass) and guest musician Matt Kastner (drums)
Klaymore – It’s Alive 5th Anniversary Edition
This new release from the independent/unsigned band, which became available in late September 2017, contains re-recorded material by the current roster. The EP comes in celebration of the band’s sophomore full-length, It’s Alive, from 2012. The youthful metallers have selected a handful of their favorite tracks and recorded them with the current lineup.
We begin with “It’s Alive” showcasing some thumping bass lines. In my best attempt to describe the Klaymore sound: power-thrash. There are elements of both dominating, but more lurking under the surface too.
During my research, I inevitably checked out the newest video, for the song “Matriarch”, which you can also view/listen to below. Quickly sinking its teeth into me, I found myself repeatedly replaying the video. The track made it’s way over to my “travel to work” playlist shortly afterward as well. Keep an ear out to my own podcast (CGCM Podcast) as I will surely be featuring “Matriarch” in an upcoming episode.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am rather less than a fan of ballads and slower fare. Knowing that now, I’m certain you can assess my thoughts on track three, an acoustic ballad. That said, I suspected that “Swallowing Razors (Fade Away)” would sound great plugged in. Checking out Klaymore‘s Bandcamp page provided just such a recording from the 2012 version. Still slower-paced, but much more digestible for me, check out the emotional lyrics in this one.
“Temple of Dagon” nearing the six-minute mark, wraps up this EP of re-records. It’s an epic journey from beginning to end and a great way to end this release.
Final Thoughts
This is a great young band that I’ve discovered…must have more! Check out the Klaymore Bandcamp page for a good deal to buy 2 CDs for $8 USD…the only issue for me is that the shipping to Canada is 30% more than the cost….lol. Watch out US friends….you may be getting a Klaymore package to bring for me when we meet on the Monsters of Rock Cruise in February!
Frontman Lee Prisby seems to proclaim himself the “Queen Bitch of the Universe”. Many photos display him sporting such a shirt. Apparently, Klaymore also has a reverence for video games. Among other covers on the band’s Facebook page such as the recently posted Stratovarius song are several video game metal covers. It looks like they metalize music from video games which would probably mean more to me if I wasn’t too old and horribly uncoordinated for video games…lol
BUY: AMAZON.com / AMAZON.co.uk
Cheers,
The Meister
Find more of my album reviews here: Meister Music
CGCM Podcast / Meister on Facebook / Meister on Instagram / Meister on Twitter / Meister’s Email
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ao9-dgScrs[/embedyt]
