Is it really time for another Kylesa album? It may only seem like yesterday but it has been quite a while since their last album, Time Will Fuse its Worth, and the band looks intent on besting that effort in every way. Still set with its dual drummer line-up, Kylesa offer Static Tensions with its ten tracks of their crust punk, psychedelic, metallic infusions that is undoubtedly unique.
Static Tensions is surely a Kylesa album; there is no mistaking their sound, the dual (triple maybe?
since there are two male vocalists
) male female vocals immediately are recognizably as Philip Cope and Laura Pleasants have two of the more distinct vocal styles in heavy music. The solid songwriting is present and further cements the record as purely Kylesa, as it sounds like an extension of their musical trajectory. Jagged rhythms and thick guitars are abound throughout the record while the two drummers seemingly fight each other at times (to neat effect). At times, the vocals really set the songs apart like with "Said and Done" and its peppering of anguished vocal styles and contrasting "choral elements" that just imbue the track with that something special. Arguably the crowning jewel on Static Tensions, "Unknown Awareness" exudes a mood and tension not found elsewhere on the album; but more than that, the guitars, drums, and vocals all exhibit a different quality than for what Kylesa is normally known making for a great addition to the band's library. Similarly, "Running Red" also is further proof of Kylesa's writing progression; the pounding percussion and different vocal style from Pleasants are excellent new twists to the band's sound.
After four albums and a variety of splits and singles, Kylesa still are going strong, still putting out solid, consistent releases. As with other albums, Kylesa's Static Tensions is a powerful, heavy, and complex record which the band uses to explore and perfect different aspects of its sound all the while delivering something that is undoubtedly them. Without reservation, Static Tensions answers the question; yes, it is time for another Kylesa album and what a worthy record it is.
