HUBARDO

Hubardo is my first encounter with Kayo Dot and I think a pretty good starting point in general. Not that this is in any way a lot more accessible than their previous work or that they've gone pop or generic or anything. It simply feels more cohesive than the likes of Gamma Knife. There are still raucous, discordant walls of sound backed by intricate and rapid drumming which at first I found to be a little unbearable but as i listen more those parts grow on me. The reason is that they are not simply your run-of-the-mill death/black metal moments but are instead layered with all types of unexpected instrumentation (clarinet, horns, piano, synths, violin) and this adds a peculiar quality to the music and what it's trying to do. I perceive these instruments as noble intruders on an otherwise sombre and menacing torment which the screeching guitar and vocals are in constant battle with. It's this curious hodge- podge of jazz, post-rock, metal, folk, and God knows what else that makes me keep coming back to this absurdly wonderful record.

I am yet to properly read the narrative in the lyrics but the moods and atmospheres within the music give the listener a general understanding of what's going on, or at least the listener can interpret the events interestingly based on titles and sound. Lyrics have never been a big deal for me, and when I first heard the opening track I thought I'd need to know the lyrics to make the introductory song enjoyable but I don't. The broody, dark, almost doon-like sound of the vocals and accompanying instruments are all very enjoyable i themselves, like the whole LP.