Artist: Khoma
Title: A Final Storm
Genre: Rock
Release Date: 24th April 2010
Label: Selective Notes
Album Review
KHOMA is a Swedish band formed in Umeå, Sweden in 2003. It started as a side-project to a couple of Umeå bands like CULT OF LUNA, DEPORTEES and THE PERISHERS. The band’s debut album ‘Tsunami’ was released in 2003 and quickly sold out, it was reprinted and sold out again; this overwhelming response took the band by surprise. In 2006, KHOMA started to work on their second album without having a signed record deal, the pre-production caught the interest of several labels and the band signed with Roadrunner Records. Later on this year, ‘The Second Wave’ was released; in Sweden reviewers collectively voted it “best album of 2006”. After a few intense and intimate concerts and festivals in 2006 and early 2007, the band disappeared, the webpage shut down, no new messages were posted on the internet and no concerts were held. Almost three years of silence followed before the band surfaced again in 2009, in the end of August KHOMA went into the studio to record their third album ‘A Final Storm’.
‘A Final Storm’ was an interesting experience for me; I thought that it would be easy to review but I had to let it rest for some time before I could continue and finish it. The songs on this album are very strong and moving in different ways and on different levels, in some ways it is hard to put into words what I feel when I listen to the songs. I really like the mix of songs on this album, there are some songs that you notice the first time you listen to the album and there are some that you have to listen to a couple of times before you understand and really appreciate them. It’s interesting that once you have found these “less obvious songs” it’s hard to understand how you could not notice them the very first time you listened to the album.
‘From the Hands of Sinners’ begins with a powerful and intense intro that kind of just wash over me before the soulful vocals of the singer Jan Jämte joins in. Jan sings with so much feeling, such intensity that it reaches out; it touches me in a way that almost hurts. Special and different drums create a rhythm that I really like. ‘Osiris’ took me pleasantly by surprise the first time I listened to it because the song really kicks off from the start. What I like most with this song is the rough and good sounding guitars and bass are thundering steadily along together with the cool drums from the first tune to the end of this song. Strong lyrics and vocals create a brilliant song that quickly became a favourite.
‘Inquisition’ is a very special song that really grows the more you listen to it. The song starts slow and simple but then as it opens up darker tunes kind of flows in and changes the song, I enjoy the darker atmosphere, the balance of vocals and music. The first times I listened through the album I did not really notice this song, but the more time I listened to the song the more it grew, it move me in a way that is hard to pinpoint and explain in words... ‘In it for the Fighting’ is the first single from the album, it’s interesting that the song has no musical intro it just kicks off with both vocals and music together; I like the sound of the powerful guitars and bass and the strong and thought worthy lyrics. The song comes with a video directed and produced by Johannes Persson and you can watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-vd5_9Mx_4.
‘Mist’ is the last song on the album and it had me hitting repeat for quite some time before I felt that I grasped this complex and special song. It starts with what for me sounds like bare hands drumming on maybe an African Djembe (I am far from certain of this), I really like this and it fits perfectly to the rest of the music. Interesting to hear some kind of choir moving in and out of the background sounding almost like an instrument itself, I really like the way it blend with the rest of the instruments in this emotional and strong song.
Tracklist
01. Army of One
02. From the Hands of Sinners
03. Harvest
04. Osiris
05. A Final Storm
06. Inquisition
07. The Tide
08. All Like Serpents
09. In It for the Fighting
10. By the Gallows
11. Mist
Line-up
Jan Jämte - vocals
Johannes Persson - guitar
Fredrik Kihlberg - guitar, keyboard
Thomas Hedlund - drums for ‘A Final Storm’
Website
http://www.khoma.se/ / http://www.myspace.com/khoma
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9 / 10
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