After a first EP which opened the doors of the underground scene, Kami No Ikari released their first album.
Entitled See You In Hell (Jigoku de Aimashou), it took Amarino Barros (vocals), Rodolphe Brouat (guitar), Silvère Escande (guitar), Brice Baillache (bass) and Yohann Dieu (drums) four years to create.
The band called on Francesco Ferrini (Fleshgod Apocalypse) for orchestrations.
From the very first seconds of Godly Oath, the first track on the album, we’re immediately introduced to the Asian decorum, but also to the heavy Deathcore roots and Amarino’s vociferations, who switches effortlessly between growl and scream, as well as the epic orchestrations. The mix is as effective as ever, as on the lively Inside You, which focuses on more aggressive patterns to create a contrast with the more impressive elements with which the band regularly crushes us, particularly on the suffocating break followed by a few melancholic touches. The chaotic final finally leaves us on Interitus, where the traditional percussion returns, but is followed by more or less moderate waves of rage infused with folk elements. The choruses on the chorus are well exploited, as are the driving Nu Metal influences of Final Judgment, which surprises us with operatic vocals that offer a delicate touch before the more vigorous passages, like the final moshpart that disappears to make way for The Forgotten, which immediately shows its heavy atmosphere. Oppression lives on in the jerky riffs, but takes a back seat to the lead parts, followed by The Reason Why and its more dramatic soaring tones that overshadow the combo’s raw riffs and various vocal parts. Dead Letter to the Future (Mirai he no Deido Letta) reveals a far more theatrical and disturbing approach to its violence, while remaining rooted in heaviness, before Cronos takes over with a catchy groove coupled with keyboards, creating a rather original atmosphere. All the elements converge towards the same need to crush us with rhythmic riffs, but the musicians finally decide to give us a moment’s respite, the short, melancholic Shink? allowing us to breathe before being confronted with Theophobia, the last composition in which the five friends compete with violence while placing more dissonant elements, as well as a grandiose final.
Kami No Ikari has come a long way since its first creations. While the band has retained its identity, it is now served by riffs as violent as they are majestic. There’s no doubt that See You In Hell (Aimashou’s Jigoku) will leave its mark wherever it’s played!
85/100
