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Kolossus, the latest from Norwegian black metallers Keep of Kalessin, begins with "Origin," a short intro that blends acoustic and electric guitars. The contrast in moods - from glory to brooding darkness - helps set the tone for the album. "Origin" leads into "A New Empire's Birth," an epic track highlighted by soaring melodies and traditional blasting. Most of the album follows this template - no surprise, given that guitarist Obsidian Claw also handles synthesizers. "The Rising Sign," in particular, has a militaristic opening that fits the song well.
Kolossus sports a hi-fi production reminiscent of some of Keep of Kalessin's more popular countrymen, Enslaved. On tracks such as "Birth," it works - lo-fi and epic has been a difficult combination to achieve outside of Bathory's Hammerheart. That being said, the production does have a couple flaws. "Against the Gods" has colorful riffs that balance the keyboards and relentless blasting, but they aren't as prominent in the mix as they should be.
In addition, "Warmonger" lacks some of the epic flavor that the album builds itself upon and would benefit from a rawer production. Singer Thebon's vocals alternate between the extreme glistening cleans and hellish rasps of Bathory's Quorthon, peppered with occasional death metal growls. Though not an album for everyday metal consumption, Kolossus is a solid effort nevertheless.
