It’s not often that I get random recommendations (without asking) from friends which turn out to be something very cool. So, whenever that happens, I really cherish said moment and discovery. You probably already guessed the rest of this preamble. One of my best friends recommended this band to me. I was practically sold once I saw it was an Australian band, more so once I saw that they mix rock, metal, Middle Eastern music, Indian music, and orchestral tendencies. Practically a healthy part of all of my favorite things in music.
A lot of amazing music hails from Australia and pound for pound, I do not think there’s a regional scene (Japan notwithstanding) with more to offer. Based in Sydney, BaK have been toiling with their particular blend of music for the past decade and are now on their third and newest release, Crater. It’s easily one of the most promising records I heard from 2021. The year may be over, but the discoveries keep pouring in. I’d make a case that year end lists and rankings are futile as no one person has time to dig into everything, but maybe some other time.
Anyway, I’m rather surprised that basically no one talked about this record, which has been out for over 6 months now. While it is a short one, stacking four tracks, clocking in at a modest 25 minutes, it packs a lot!
What makes Crater so incredibly promising is first of all, it’s incredibly ambitious goal. I haven’t heard a record which attempted to do so many things, let alone pull it off in any kind of measure. I would note that Crater achieves this entirely on a compositional level, while the execution of said ideas leave me wanting. The way we see heavy metal roots, running almost side by side with Middle Eastern drones and atmospheres, which are in turn complemented by Indian music, all of this being topped of with massive orchestral flourishes — is, well, gloriously triumphant.
The grandiose, mystical, and heavy display of power isn’t particularly novel in any sense, but it is something unnervingly authentic and bristling with a sparkle that many bands are sort of missing out on. I can almost feel the performers through my speakers, as if they’re here in the room with me giving it their all.
The music flows effortlessly from start to finish, never really giving the impression that there’d be a division into separate songs. It all stands together as a single megalithic unit. Crater also delivers a highly engaging narrative over its course, keeping me at the ‘edge of my speakers’ from the first to the very last moment.
Sure, the metal/rock element could be fleshed out better, with more variety so it’s closer to what I feel would really do justice to the blend, instead of some very color-by-numbers passages hearkening to 90s power metal and heavy metal. In that respect, I can’t say there’s anything ‘flawed’ across the rest of Crater.
Although, I do have one big gripe with the album. The production and respectively the recording quality. It’s madly subpar for the presented ideas. It’s like we have world class composers and performers with none of the budget for that tier of musicians. I could almost bet or swear that it’s a budget issue. I’m certain that given the means, this band is going to make something amazing. As much as I love the record, I can’t shake off the jarring guitar tones and the orchestral bits which sound like run of the mill VSTs, so that whole end will need some serious work until it reaches what it aims for.
For whatever reason I’m tempted to compare Crater to Cholera’s Prophecies of Annihilation. In the sense that one reminds me of the other. Although, admittedly, Prophecies of Annihilation really goes ham on the progressive side of things, while Crater is much more straightforward in its delivery. They both manage to maintain a heavily epic atmosphere throughout with a high immersive character, in spite of their shortcomings in terms of packaging.
Anyway, make sure to check out BaK if any of the things I said even remotely piqued your interest and make sure to support them as much as you can!
