Khanate - Things Viral
(Hydra Head)

It is so hard to find music that I can call genuinely unsettling or disturbing. Something that is physically hard to stick to and endure. Not because the music is bad but because it just gets into your skin and festers. Like a horror movie; when's the last time you saw a movie branded "horror" that actually horrified you? Well I can safely say that one of my go-to albums that does not hold back on the sheer misery is Things Viral, the sophomore album from experimental Doom band Khanate. We've had this record in the store for a long time, and ironically akin to their existence at the time, it has gone criminally underappreciated. Every time I play this record in the shop someone comes up asking what it is. Either with anxiety in their voice or puzzled wonderment. What I'm saying is, the impact of this record is undeniable but definitely more suited for people with a strong stomach. Khanate is a Doom band unlike any other that stretches the contemporary boundaries of composition and sluggish tempos to extreme levels. The wretched guitar strums float and seep along each piece accented by incredibly sparse drum hits and bass notes. The vocals and lyrics are shouted with complete raw intensity, but at the same time, are incredibly enunciated and uncomfortably clear. It's the sound of pain and misery at it's best, the sound of a raving misanthrope screaming at you in a corner. The momentum of the music ranges from glacial pace-like stills that leave you wondering if the record stopped, to feed-backing, sharp guitar string scratches twitching under screams of desperate agony. Who would have thought a Crust Punk / Doom guitarist, a Jazz drummer and a Grindcore vocalist could make some of the most convincing and horrific music ever made. I can't recommend it enough and I wish I could talk about it more. (VII)
Check out a track here.