Kruelty doesn’t start throwing in slammy fight riffs until “Harder Than Before.” But even then, such a staple of modern beatdown only accounts for 10% of the song. Kruelty‘s devotion to resonant licks and deep atmosphere gives their songwriting more to work with than many of their contemporaries in the heavy hardcore movement. This adds more weight to the entrance of gnarly distortion, and a beat driven by a so-bad-it’s-good snare tone. Tatami’s vocal range has certainly taken a step up, now using more shrieks to contrast his low growls, but the songwriting remains deliciously meat-and-potatoes. Mani’s drumming gives a distinct punk feel to fast parts, with sparing use of double kick, but also knows when to lock in with guitarists Zuma and Ken for jaw-breaking mosh parts or lay back on some Bolt Thrower-style grooves. “Unknown Nightmare” finds Kruelty setting a demonic mood of Sumerian chants and ominous drones. It strikes a compelling balance between unfiltered hardcore and gory death metal without sacrificing on either end. Primitive violence and tasteful arrangements continue to set them apart on their sophomore full-length Untopia. Bands like this prove that it’s possible to play beatdown with tight songwriting. This helps Kruelty sidestep beatdown’s ongoing pitfall of forsaking interesting songs for pure ignorance. Their debut LP A Dying Truth is very easy to appreciate on those terms alone. In line with No Zodiac and Xibalba, this Japanese band owes a lot of their riffage to old school death and doom metal. Beatdown has become more popular in recent years, so bands like Kruelty have more wiggle room to rep their unique niche in the genre.
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