Krallice performing live in Europe is a rare event – it’s been over a decade since the phenomenon was last documented. We could have settled for flying them over for a one-off show, knowing that the excitement that would cause would be not insignificant. But in Krallice, we recognise something familiar to us – that desire to push boundaries, to see how far something can be taken whilst still operating within the realms of undeniable creative excellence. So, we invited them to be Roadburn artist in residence and play three shows – one that focuses on the early material of the band, one centered on the band in their most recent form, and one that will be an entirely new, original composition commissioned by Roadburn.
Fellow seekers, kindred spirits on the path towards personal, sonic and artistic exploration, Krallice hail from New York and have always bent the rules to suit their vision. Undoubtedly a black metal band, they eschew genre conventions – you’ll find no theatrics, no lo-fi recordings here – in favour of robust, technical foundations upon which they add their trademark flourishes. Colin Marston, Mick Barr, Lev Weinstein and Nicholas McMaster are sometimes referred to as a supergroup due to their members’ involvement with other acts (Gorguts, Dysrhythmia and Scarcity among them), yet they shy away from such framing of their union.
Krallice’s tenure at Roadburn will span their career and substantial back catalogue, divided into three parts. They will open the main stage on Thursday afternoon with their commissioned project signifying the Future of the band. As we prepare for this announcement there is little to report on in terms of the direction this will take – but the next six months will see the band hard at work sculpting the latest piece of the Krallice puzzle.
Past will be represented by works that predominantly feature on their earlier albums, a period where their unhinged technicality manifested most acutely through precise, ice cold black metal chops. The delineation between what will constitute Krallice’s Past and Present performances at Roadburn cannot be identified by a mere date. As the past gives way to the band’s latest form, the mood will shift, the sound will alter to centre the dynamics of synths. Present will showcase the band in – at the time of writing – its most current form; as technical as ever, of course, but now with added layers of ethereal atmosphere and ambient accompaniment.
Whilst Krallice have collected more than their fair share of high praise and discerning head nods from appreciators of their craft, they have remained predominantly in the shadows. Their take on black metal is capable of being a true embodiment of the genre at one moment and then an abstract distortion of it in the next – without skipping a beat. To our minds it was high time they got their flowers – but not just in the form of the well-deserved commendations, but with a platform to showcase their artistry in its many facets.
“Greetings Roadburn humans and followers, good to finally meet you,” Krallice say. “We first talked about coming to Roadburn in 2012, but it was not to be. And then 14 years snuck passed. Thankfully time is meaningless, and to celebrate that we will be playing sets from our past, present and future. The past will be what we remember, the present will be of this moment, and the future nobody yet knows… Huge thanks to everyone involved with making this happen. We are very excited to be doing this.”
Consider this not just a rare event, but a once in a lifetime opportunity to to experience the depth of the Krallice vision in its considerable glory.
