Khanus – Rites of Fire

[schema type=”review” name=”Khanus – Rites of Fire” description=”Label: I, Voidhanger Records” author=”Basak Günel” pubdate=”06-05-2016″ ]

Khanus is a metal band from Finland. They have been formed in 2015 so they are relatively young! What’s interesting about them is that the sound can be described as ‘shamanic metal of death’. Their first EP “Rites of Fire” has been released this month. 

When I first read the definition of ‘shamanic metal of death’, I imagined a rather spiritual atmosphere but the band kinda surprised me! Surely, the EP has that cosmic and ‘shamanic’ vibe. This vibe, however, reflects the occult side of the black metal where the songs have that ‘ritual’ atmosphere in general. In this sense, I, personally, would have liked to hear the mixture of a ‘spiritual’ as well as the ‘ritual’ side of the band’s sound.

Generally, the 4 songs in the EP will catch the attention of the listener. The songs are quite dark and will definitely capture the listener with each spin. The overall tempo is also quite straightforward which will definitely entertain the lovers of the genre. One highlight of the EP is the soprano vocals in the last two songs “The Daughters Of Fire” and “The Rites of Sacred Ecstacy”.Although I think that these vocals could have been highlighted more, this aspect brings a diversity to the record and makes these two songs stand out.

“Rites of Fire” is definitely a good start for the band. In my opinion, the band can use more instruments or get more creative to create more diversity within their sound. I already like the concept of ‘shamanism’ and would like to feel/experience more of this aspect in the upcoming releases. Looking forward to what the band will deliver next!

Line-up:
Sovereign – Guitars, bass, vocals
Meltiis – Soprano vocals and choir
KHAA-man – Shaman drum and chanting
Timo Anttonen – drums [session drummer]

Tracklist: 01. Womb of the Larger Self 02. Orgone 03. The Daughters of Fire 04. The Rites of Sacred Ecstacy

Links:
Khanus Facebook