Photo Credit: Kwstas Kartelar
Two guys that grew up with old school 90’s death metal joined forces and formed the band Kemerov in 2013. The quartet hail from Serres, Greece. They could never really choose between the metal sound and the rock n’roll feeling, and their sound meshes the two together perfectly. Giving in to these schizophrenic tendencies, they are inspired by bands like Entombed, Cathedral and Turbonegro and various others. Kemerov decided to throw all their influences into the mix, which created this new hybrid sound you won’t find anywhere else. In 2013 they got the ball rolling with guitar, voice and occasionally bass and drums. By the summer of 2015, the band had acquired permanent members for both drums and bass. This would become the first ever full Kemerov lineup. The lineup was now stable and in November 2015 they released their debut self-titled EP, and they’ve began to hit the stage in support of acts like Rotting Christ, Septicflesh and Jucifer, among others. During this time the band was also working on new material for their debut full-length release. The full length titled ‘FMKD’ was released on January 31, 2017. The album was produced by Kemerov & Emmanouil Hermano Tselepis. The band recorded at various studios including Flow Recordings Studio, Galdemi Studio and Steve’s studio and then it was all mixed and mastered by Emmanouil Hermano Tselepis.
Cover Art by: Kotsifas Blakbird
Kemerov get your engines started with the track “New Order”. The track gives us a huge dose of the bands instrumental abilities before showcasing the vocals of singer Matt Karampalios about halfway through the song. “TV-Bred” starts out with a chugging guitar riff and galloping drum beats. The vocal style a gravely tone that gives the band a really raw feel. This song also showcases an amazing guitar solo that adds a classic rock vibe to the band. “Slay Your Son” really gets your blood pumping with a fast paced shredding by guitarist Giorgos Tsapkinis. The riffs ring out and really take center stage here. The vocals accompanying the track are throaty and aggressive that just adds to the appeal of the song. Near the end of the short 2:30 track it really takes on more of a punk rock vibe that truly adds a new dimension to the band’s sound. The album also includes a cover of the song “The Better Man” which was originally written and recorded by singer Matt Karampalios’s former band Sicks Daze in 2001. “Gargoyle Keep” slows things down a bit. In the opening minute of the song the riffs, tone and cymbal crashes give the band a true doom sound. The vocals also differ on this track as Matt’s tone becomes a bit more harsh. Though the song for the most part is down tuned and more somber there are still some riffs expelled in more of a classic styling. Kemerov showcases on this release that they are a multidimensional band. The band breaks through barriers and is constantly genre bending so as not to be pigeon holed to one specific sound. Their ability to showcase so many unique styles gives this album extreme re-listenability. Each time listening to a track something new will jump out at you in regards to their sound.
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