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LURK
Kaldera

Doomentia (2014)
Rating: 6.5/10

Finnish doomsters Lurk are a band happy to live up to their moniker. Kaldera is the band’s second opus to emerge, following on from 2012’s self-titled festering slab. The quartet consists of vocalist K. Koskinen, guitarist A. Pulkkinen, bassist E. Nurmi and drummer K. Nurmi.

Those familiar with their previous album would no doubt have been impressed by the throaty vocals of Koskinen, and those dirge-like riffs. This time round, the band has given us another cadaverous slice of doom metal. Often delivered at a slow pace that could, at times, give a snail a run for its money, Lurk tend to be more laid back rather than boring, hinting at gloom but shying from the mournful.

Yes, Kaldera is a pretty unremarkable affair that begins with the grotesque ‘Below Flesh’, a stark, whining drool of crushing guitars which never seem to budge from their eerie trudge. Yes, it sounds rather generic within this jam-packed doom metal genre, and yes it begins to labour, but there is something about those snarling vocals which hint at black / death metal rather than your typical morose doom narration.

Upon first listen, Kaldera seems to be a very fleshy record, comfortable in its own skin and almost rusty in its construction. By the time ‘Lorn’ has entered the fray, I’m already intrigued by the whole monolithic groove.

There is a sense of the high and mighty about the entire platter; the riffs simply act as a cushion for the explosive drums, persistent bass and gnarly vocals. Lurk are clearly not fussed about silly effects or trends as they ooze with discontent towards their goal, that being the brain of the listener which it stamps on without asking questions.

One can’t fail but to be impressed by Koskinen’s vocals; I’m sure he used to be an ogre in a past life, as he chews up each lyric and spits them out. The seven-or-so minute ‘Ritual’ is suffocating as it plods, while ‘6 Feet, 6 Years’ begins with spooky, unnerving menace as the audience waits with baited breath for another pummelling riff to bring the ceiling down. Of course, when it comes it’s more of a tale of the unexpected; it exists as a rainy gothic strain on the ears until Koskinen roars once again like a kraken that has just woken from its watery lair.

By the time we’ve reached the closing title track with its My Dying Bride-esque wails of gloom, I’m troubled by the fact that Lurk have no real menace and yet exist as a supreme force that is efficient yet not daunted by the world around it. While the guitars are happy to creep about at times and peer from behind the rocks, and the drums throw rocks before scurrying off like some playful troll, Lurk are simply a solid, atmospheric band with the appeal at times of a boulder, but with enough muscle to move mountains.

The question is, can these guys actually be bothered? Sensing more of a laid-back grizzle rather than a blackened smirk from this album, I feel that Lurk are more than happy to bide their time and merely hint at their presence rather than crush their victim.

Neil Arnold

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