On April 22nd Symbol of Domination Productions will release Czech Madness, an album-length split by two destructive Czech bands, Khatano and Kundořez, which combines tracks from the debut releases of both groups. Today we’re bringing you one song from each band’s side of the album, preceded by some background information and impressions of these two murderous songs.
KHATANO
Khatano sprang to life in the Czech city of Ostrava in 2012 and released their first demo (Against This System) the next year. Their side of this split includes the 8 songs from that self-released debut. The song we’ve got for you today is a bruiser named “Cross and Halfmoon“.
The no-frills, garage-band sound of the song suits its primal punch, which features a prominent, beefy bass drive, methodical, clobbering drum beats, and hammering, down-tuned riffs. The heavy-grooved death metal elements in the song are paired with hardcore stylings, including raw braying vocals with a bloodthirsty mien. The song also features heavy, swarming tremolo-picked riffs in addition to those head-smashing chords, as well as off-pace interludes that magnify the song’s dismal and homicidal atmosphere.
Khatano on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/KHATANO-276235689186631/
KUNDOŘEZ
Kundořez is a two-man project founded in 2015 (also in Ostrava), with a debut CD recorded the same year under the title Ženy na maso!. In addition to an intro and an outro, Ženy na maso! included 8 songs, and all 10 of those tracks make up the Kundořez side of Czech Madness.
The song we’re bringing you today is “Mrdak Menzessní“. Like Khatano, Kundořez integrate elements of death metal and hardcore to produce a viscerally potent beating that’s also infectious. “Mrdak Menzessní” is heavier than a lead weight, with an enormous bass sound, low-tuned riffs, and deep, gravelly death growls mixed with ugly, strangled expressions of venom. It’s primitive, pulsing music, with methodical drumwork that’s not fancy but suits the primal appeal of the song very well. It’s a very dark song, but also includes a flickering, swirling, ethereal lead guitar melody that comes and goes like a poltergeist.
Kundořez on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Kundo%C5%99ez-1605107796389917/
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Czech Madness includes almost 49 minutes of music and cover art by Paint-It-Black Design. The album can be ordered via this page on Bandcamp, where you can listen to one more track by each band:
https://symbolofdomination.bandcamp.com/album/sodp093-khatano-kundo-ez-czech-madness-split-2017