EP Review: 'King Kong on Crack' by BerserkerfoX

From left to right: Anannd Thambirajah, Liam McRae, Rory O'Donnell, Ashish Kumar.
Daniel "Muzzi" Mozumber featured in front.
 

Four years ago, melodic death metal band BerserkerfoX was a series of jam sessions between guitarists Ashish Kumar and Anannd Thambirajah in an apartment in Melbourne, Australia. It took two years before the group formed, complete with the addition of Daniel “Muzzi” Mozumder on vocals, Liam McRae on bass, and Rory O'Donnell on drums. Armed with demos and incredible ambition, the 5-piece band have rocked out numbers of venues within Victoria and received publicity on websites like Ultimate Guitar and Harm.us. With the release of their 3-track EP 'King Kong on Crack', we get a short, but intense taste of what to expect out of these guys before they release their first album.

'King Kong on Crack':

1. Flag of Blood
2. Self Professed Kings
3. Veritas

Without time to waste, the EP kicks off with chest-pounding drum lines, thrashing rhythm, and a crunchy riff during the verse of its opening track, “Flag of Blood.” It sounds like any good metal song to headbang to until it tugs the rug under your feet and hits you with flashy guitars that belt out melodic scales, pinch harmonics, and crisp vibratos. For the following songs, similar techniques are used and filtered through dueling guitar action, a popularized guitar style in the metal scene, but there is room for them to make it their own and they succeed in keeping things interesting and original.

“Self Professed Kings” receives bonus points for the small orchestra of electric guitars in the intro, backed up by drums reflecting a military march. A swift change will follow as the song transforms with faster rhythm, then Muzzi rises from Hell with his low, rumbling growl, and the band dives into their personal brand of melodic metal. They kill it in this track. Out of the entire EP, the guitars are the most distracting in this song, especially with the fast harmonies that appear later on when Muzzi is screaming over it. All in all, the song can't be listened to as a whole. It's a complete mind-screw trying to focus on everyone in the band while the guitar work is there to steal your attention.

While the previous two are focused on guitar, it feels like each band member gets their chance in the spotlight in the final track, “Veritas.” While I was beginning to think that the bass guitar was M.I.A, you finally get a good earful of Liam McRae's talents as he plays a very cool bass line during a wind-down within the second half of the song. “Veritas” is the most eclectic with mixing different speeds and tones and is a personal favorite out of the three.

'King Kong on Crack' isn't something you can just pop into your boombox and nod your head to, it takes thought and focus to listen to these tracks. Each guitar line is crafted with intricate and rarely simple riffs, the drums are pounding in your ear with no remorse, all while the bass guitar, save for a few seconds in “Veritas”, seems lost and lonely like a homeless person in a dark alley. Muzzi provides his deep, throat-tearing growls, but the guitars are louder than the vocalist, which could be a product of a mixing fault. That gratefully dulls the potential raw power of the rest of the band.

I'd like to see where this band is going. The talent is there, they have great song ideas, and it can only get better from this debut EP. 'King Kong on Crack' gets a 6.5/10.

BerserkerfoX are currently laying down the finishing touches on their upcoming full-length which is set to be released in July. Keep track of them on their official website and Myspace page!

Favorites: Veritas