Amputate Corporate Art. The K.

The K. is not your average band name. It has something Kafkaësque because of the lone K. The music is much more direct. Big fat (stoner)rock with smears of alternative rock like Canshaker Pi, the absolute frontrunner of this genre in The Netherlands.

The opening song, such a cheerful title in these surreal days of Corona, 'The Future Is Bright' is a very direct rock song with heavy riffing on powerchords. It's nice, but to my ears the band becomes truly interesting with the second song, 'Shit Day'. Singer Seb sounds like a madman spinning totally out of control. His vocal chords lie bleeding on the studio floor, seriously wondering how to ever reproduce this successfully on stage multiple times. Respite thanks to Corona. 'Shit Day' is a great, dark song. The band name Canshaker Pi has already been mentioned. This is classic Canshaker Pi and successfully so. The band can adopt the song easily, if they ever come back together that is.

Amputate Corporate Art continues in this exciting vein. Despite working on the heavy side of alternative rock, the band does not forget the melodies, while allowing for some breathing space in the music as well.

The K. is a trio van Liège in north-eastern Belgium, a classic rock trio of guitars-bass-drums. This is the band's third album, but first after 4 and a half years. There's a new bass player with the nice name of Danger Mertz. The two original members Seb von Landau and Siegfried Burroughs are responsible for the lyrics. Most songs are credited to the whole band, but four credited to drummer Burroughs. It's not every day the drummer comes up with songs in a band. It includes 'Shit Day', which is my favourite actually.

Promo photo: Michael Roemers

'Keep My Nightmares Cold' is a good example of the quality The K. possesses in arranging its songs. Subtlety is not the first word that comes to mind while listening, and yet. There is this dreamy passage where the guitar is moved to the background and the song opens itself up. Instant satisfaction for the listener, making the whole song so much more interesting. The light and the shade as I remember Tommy Iommi of Black Sabbath calling it. The K. certainly knows the secrets of his work, used successfully over time by The Police, Nirvana and many others since.

All through Amputate Corporate Art (why?, I ask) The K. rocks out. Sometimes as hard as it can, like in 'Swim It Better' and yet again, air is let in, making the song so nice to listen to. Madness comes tumbling in in the final song '(Un)fortunate Youth'. Hints of System of a Down and The Fudge enter the whole. The K. makes it its own easily.

Summing up, Amputate Corporate Rock is a nice alternative rock record with all sorts of influences woven into its sound. Live it may be an eardrum blistering experience.

Wo.

You can listen to and buy Amputate Corporate Art here:

https://theknoise.bandcamp.com/


or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g