The French metal scene has been turning out some real quality in recent years, and Klone are one of the real standout acts. Actually their name is a bit of a misnomer, for as they manage to draw on the recognisable trademarks of some very noteworthy influences, the end result is a varied, intricate and unique brand of groovy avant-garde postrock. With this, their third full length album, Klone appear to be on the brink of mainstream success.
The first thing that comes to mind when listening to opening track ‘Rite Of Passage’ is the similarity to Tool around the Aenima and Lateralus era, particularly the lightly picked guitar sound and the unusual drum patterns laid down by Florent Marcadet, who whilst excellent is no Danny Carey, but then that’s a tall order for anyone. Singer Yann Ligner comes across as a Maynard James Keenan klone initially, with his light and melodic delivery, but this soon develops a harder and rawer edge as the track develops. It’s a brilliantly engaging start and that carries on into ‘Spiral Down’, a much harder track featuring some rasping and chugging guitar riffs from Michael Moreau and Guillaume Bernard, whilst Ligner maintains his harder vocal. The overall end product here comes out somewhere between Mastodon and Gojira, the influence of their countrymen proving the more prevalent element. The drums are an ever present driving force with its constant fills and rhythm and time changes. A grunge element creeps in during ‘Give up the Rest’ with a vocal harmony akin to Alice in Chains. As classy and inventive as this track is, it does outstay its welcome by about a minute.
The pace slows to a deliberate but determined level in ‘Immaculate Desire’, before leading into a sumptuous chorus laden with some sweet melodic harmonized vocals, although Ligner breaks off into a much harsher lead out which is very similar in delivery to Gojira’s Joe Duplantier. The instrumental interlude ‘Closed Season’, builds in intensity before fading away in an effects laden finish, only to be replaced with the aggressive introduction to ‘The Spell Is Cast’. There’s a groovier, bluesy side to Klone too, as is evident in the atmospheric ‘Danse Macabre’, which sounds like it carries the DNA of some of Pantera’s slower and more melodic efforts. ‘Rain Bird’ is one of the stand out tracks on an album full of great material, with a very basic riff somehow developed and distorted into a galloping monster. Once again I have to give a special mention to Monsieur Marcadet’s sublime sticks skills, and his performance here transcends the usual drummer’s role. The album closes with a superb cover of Bjork’s ‘Army Of Me’, which is given the full on heavy treatment with Hugues Andriot’s thundering bass line, and Yann Ligner does an excellent job of translating the mental Icelandic minx’s bizarre vocal inflections to the metal arena.
I have to admit, this one has pretty much come out of nowhere as far as I’m concerned, and Klone have delivered one of the most interesting, varied and intriguing albums I’ve heard in the past year. There is a wealth of talent and invention on display in ‘Black Days’ and fans of Tool and Mastodon should devour this one hungrily. Sure it’s only April, but this is an early contender for my album of 2010. Fantastic stuff.
http://www.myspace.com/klone
