Dissonance tinged symphonics built on a solid swamp rock base and cut with punk vocals. Everything you need to know about the Kylesa sound is on display.
Review by David Feltman
Savannah’s sludge/crust/psych chimera, Kylesa, has been churning out Grade A metal for just over a decade. In that time, the band has managed to accumulate a cache of rarities and unreleased material, enough at least to put together a pretty bitching b-side collection with From the Vaults, Vol. 1.
While similar collections often pad themselves with a plethora of alt-takes and demo tracks, From the Vaults scratches the filler in favor of fan service. Of the 12 tracks on the compilation, eight are previously unreleased or limited release songs and one, “End Truth,” is brand new. The three alt-take tracks, “111 Degree Heat Index,” “Between Silence and Sound II,” and “Bottom Line II” are all worth the revisit. And the much-sought Pink Floyd cover “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” finally sees the light of release. There’s plenty of great new material to revel in with little detritus.
It’s often a good idea for newbies to shy away from these collections as an entry point, but From the Vaults is a perfect sampler for the uninitiated. Dissonance tinged symphonics built on a solid swamp rock base and cut with punk vocals. Everything you need to know about the Kylesa sound is on display. Regardless of whether you’ve followed the band since 2001 or have never heard of them before, From the Vaults, Vol. 1 is a fine addition to any metal head’s collection.
You can find out more about Kylesa at their official website and on Facebook.
