Ok let me clear this up. Yes Kekal's Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams was reviewed by HadeSlayeR awhile back, but that was the cassette version. At that time there were no thoughts of making a CD version of this music at all. However, the band has indeed remastered the tracks, and come out with a CD version of their efforts. This review is on the CD version of their album, as the cassette version has greatly reduced quality, as you can tell by reading the original review.
There really is only one thing to say about this CD...and that's BLACK-freaking-METAL!
Kekal is a band that I've been interested in hearing for a long time, but due to their only releasing cassettes I've held off, and dear sweet Jesus have I been shorting myself.
The CD opens with a blistering track called Rotting Youth, with screeching Horde styled black vocals, true black vocals, not the black "influenced" vocals we've been hearing some bands use lately (Embodyment, Zao) but true black vocals. These vocals are simply SICK! Not since Horde has anyone approached this level in the Christian market. This song is pretty well a straight forward black metal song. Then we rip into one of the real highlights of the CD Armageddon. Starting up with a nice death riff this song picks up speed very quickly and is the first track on the CD that switches vocal styles from a death influenced growl to the full on black vocals used prior, to a haunting, high pitched female voice that sings a verse and runs right into a serious undistorted death growl, then back to the black vocals, and yes we're talking about one song here. This song is really amazing to me. I'm blown away every time I hear it.
The very next track is called Spirits, and this one opens with some really cool mood setting keyboards, and soothing guitars but only momentarily, the song then starts chugging along with some seriously heavy guitars that just about break your bones just listening to it. The speed comes in with the trading off black/death vocals. This song has my favorite lyrics on the CD with:
Jesus Christ who destroyed satan's head,
crush his ugly head,
VICTORY
The average song is over 5 mins long here with three clocking over 6 each. Ten tracks that have a good quality sound to them although I did find myself adjusting the bass on the equalizer to balance the sound some. Another example of the bass being mixed out of the sound I think.
The death influenced vocals have what I believe to be some effects put on them. What I mean is they echo, and I've heard this before, but I personally don't care for it. I think it takes away from the intensity of the vocals. The Black vocals have the echo effect on a few tracks as well, and it's not nearly as bad sounding as it is on the death growls.
The band line up credit Harry with Vocals, Leo with guitars, Jeff with Guitars and vocals, Ashar with bass and vocals, and "drums by The Black Machine." I don't have a problem with drum machines, if you have a hard time telling it's a drum machine, but on this CD I don't have a hard time at all. In fact the reason I looked at the band line up was to verify my feelings that this was a drum machine. The blast beats on the snare are (as always) the most evident sign of the machine, but the overall sound lends you the idea. They do like to program that bass drum however, and that really does help out a great deal. That bass thunders out like the most severe thunderstorm you've had the misfortune to live through.
The cover art has been redone from the cassette release as well, but is still a picture of their native land of Indonesia, showing moss covered tree stumps and a misty sky peeking through the jungle. Very serene and mood setting in itself.
Lyrically Kekal is as point blank as the most vile of satanic black metal bands, except they proclaim the love of Jesus Christ and refuting the hollow promises of satanism, and exposing the lies of satan himself.
To wrap up let me just say this...METAL METAL METAL. If you've EVER found yourself saying "I like metal" don't be a fool, this CD is for you. It's got a few draw backs, but for the avid metal fan, you're going to enjoy this CD a great deal.
8/10
Other Staff Member Ratings
HadeSlayeR: 9/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #76Reviewed by Doug Van PeltWhoa! Indonesia has attacked and will slay the black metal scene with this group! Kekal's Beyond The Glimpse Of Dreams is just a full-on blitzkrieg of flying blast beats, killer guitars, and some of that howling, screaching black metal vocals. Someone told me today that this band is the only other band that can hang with the likes of Horde - secular or Christian. With this prolific playing and…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Chris KingBlack metal, despite its inherent ugliness, can be very beautiful, powerful, and moving music, and this young band from Indonesia accomplish the task. Kekal have created an original alloy of thrash and classic metal with a base of mostly black metal. Their songs are well developed without being laboriously long or degenerating into tiresome repetition. A variety of vocal styles are utilized, from…Dead Zine 1998Reviewed by HadeSlayeRSide A of the Cassette: The opening track 'Rotting Youth' shows the listener what to expect. Brutal Black Metal from these young guys hailing from Indonesia. I was skeptical at first about how good this would be as my friend was introducing this band to me. This is a cassette by the way they don't have any CDs out. This was the reason why I put off getting this album in the first place and had to…Dead Zine 1998Reviewed by FletchAlthough I think this cd is a small step above some other Christian black metal, I think this band needs some vocal work and a drummer. The vocals are just really unprofessional. They sound like someone who has no business on a microphone trying to act like he can sing. Don't be fooled. Plus, they use a drum machine on this cd. Although it's not terribly obvious, it is lame. Some guitar work…Similar sounding releases
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