This is a special segment dedicated to bands emerging deep from the underground, defying all odds to produce compelling work. These acts possess a rawness often absent from mainstream bands, though it might be an acquired taste. The choice is yours—show them love or hate, but whatever you do, give them something!
We find ourselves, once again, in what I like to call a meta-review, as we delve into a release that feels both old and new simultaneously. Die Entweihung is about to reissue Kings & Pawns. You may not be familiar, but this one-member act has been going strong for over a decade. Needless to say, passion drives this project better than you handle a stick shift. But what should you expect from Kings & Pawns? Brace yourselves!
The first thing that struck me is how raw this album is. And I don’t mean it in the Darkthrone sense of the word; it boasts an old-school production that, to be honest, took me a while to get used to. I found myself wondering if this rawness was intentional or simply a byproduct of budget limitations. But there’s nothing inherently wrong with that; some of history’s greatest art was born from severe limitations. After all, an artist needs focus and resourcefulness. Despite what may seem like a far-fetched comparison, Kings & Pawns reminds me a lot of Amorphis‘s A Tale of a Thousand Lakes, both in terms of content and aesthetics. Before you spit on my face for such a seemingly blasphemous statement, allow me to explain.
Both albums could easily fit into the 90’s MeloDeath mold. The production is dense, the guitar melodies dominate the songs, and there’s an abundance of vocal experimentation (Kings & Pawns features several guest vocalists). However, both albums also draw heavily from folk music, which permeates the band’s environment. Moreover, both albums are consistently driven by riffs that effectively convey their message.
While A Tale of a Thousand Lakes is a love letter to Finland heavily inspired by the Kalevala, Kings & Pawns takes a more political, or should I say confrontational, stance. Obviously, Die Entweihung isn’t a religious band. If anything, Kings & Pawns criticizes how those in power often abuse it. And is there anything more historically “from the region” than questioning authority? After all, “Power is not an institution, and not a structure; neither is it a certain strength we are endowed with; it is the name that one attributes to a complex strategical situation in a particular society.” I’m not entirely sure what that means, but it certainly adds a profound air to this paragraph!
Kings & Pawns is divided into two parts: one where you’ll find the expected Orphaned Land, Aeternam-like folk feeling, albeit less polished, and another half where the guest vocalists truly make the album more interesting. I appreciate how the three vocalists explore the breadth of their vocal capabilities, even if it doesn’t always land perfectly. While these parts reconcile well, it’s also true that the strength of the songwriting varies greatly between tracks. For instance, “As the Hangover Starts” is arguably a stronger track than “Sons of Moon and Fire” (though to be fair, “Sons” is a bonus track). This discrepancy affects how effectively the album’s themes resonate from track to track, but I wouldn’t say it’s too severe.
If you’re in search of genuine, gritty, underground Metal that doesn’t sound like white noise from Norway and you want a bit of politics in your music, but not too much, then Kings & Pawns has something to offer you. It’s not much, but it’s honest work!
Label: Inverted Chalice Prod/Bajo Tierra Records
Release Date: May 24, 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/entweihung
Country: Israel/Belarus
Score: The heads of a few politicians
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