Style: heavy metal, thrash
Label: self-release
Year: 2009
Home: New York
Members: Kore Rozzik ~ vocals
Riff, Karlo ~ guitars
Freeze ~ bass
Tamas ~ drums
There's something exciting about hearing about the new Ozzy or Slayer album, whether it's good or not ... there's something even more exciting about a small band about working on their self-produced & probably self-funded first EP, trying to establish a reputation, looking for gigs, getting noticed. Every Ozzy or Phil started this way so one never knows what band in your backyard might be next in line for the pot of gold. I'll also confess that I have a particular fondness for New York bands since we share the same haunting grounds. Kore Rozzik, a budding metal band from New York, thus particularly gets my attention. & when I read that lead singer Kore got to jam with Steel Panther I know my instincts aren't off. KR advertise themselves as old school meets nu school ... & for once the advertising is not misleading or even too much boasting. Leader singer Kore has gathered around his vision a group of great musicians, from the rhythm section to the ripping guitarists, who pour out some incredibly heavy riffs (i.e. "Kill The Clown") while not falling into the common trap of forgetting the beauty of melody, clarity of vocals, variety in the arrangements & that heavy need not be screaming fast or overly complicated. They've also got an apparent bad attitude & look to go behind it. That's helps too. What's also great about Kore is he hasn't tried to become another screeching falsetto Steven Pearcy-wannabe lead singer, nor fallen into the trap of the throat singing. This is the James Hetfield approach to singing where one uses the natural voice, good or bad, not some slopping imitation approach. Every voice is unique. We can't all be Dave Mustaine. Don't try. Speaking of which ... the highlight track "Doomsday Walks" could be off of a Megadeth album with it's vocal narration overdubs, it's apocalypse themed lyrics & an incredibly dark riff of Megadeth-esque sliding chords. While "I'm Not Alone" is as close as a power ballad they get & shows a more experimental side with softer often electronically distorted lyrics & a less driving rhythm that might be more akin to the mood Live than Megadeth, sans the spirituality. KR has a straight ahead sound that isn't fancy or full of overly-ambitious complexity. It isn't pretentious show-off music either full of the world's greatest solos. This isn't a singer's album, or a guitarist's album but a band album. Well, more accurately a very strong album from a very strong band where everyone sounds like they all sound like they're working together. This is a band worth checking out. I look forward to hearing this band in the future. I hate to also be gender specific, which I rarely do here, but this is metal for the ladies too. Some rock is a bit overly masculine & too difficult or dark to relate to, this is not. This very well could be great party music to set a wild mood. If you like mysterious long-haired rockers Kore ain't a beast to look at either.
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