Something tells us that 2024’s spooky season, the veil is particularly thin between this world and the beyond. As if we needed any more indication, today sees the release of one of the year’s most bewildering and immediately intriguing tracks in the form ofCKRAFT‘s “All You Can Kill.”
When we initially scanned the email regarding the band, we couldn’t help but notice the elevator pitch – “Gojira and John Zorn jamming on Gregorian chants” – and by notice, we mean nearly shit ourselves at the thought.
It really is something, but please, don’t take our word for it – dive in below.
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At first, it’s a lot. Okay, it’s a lot the whole time. It’s sort of a throwback to the “Quote Unquote” days of Mr. Bungle, plus maybe the unhinged results of locking the Cavalera brothers in a room full of synths, hallucinogens, and a Beast Wars / Transformers marathon. Against all odds, it’s perfectly produced – the… accordion, yes, sits in the mix the way vocals might, without getting in the way of the angular, off-time guitars or any of the other jazz ensemble voices on display. As the track progresses, it continues to thrash about but with a more Ornette Coleman / John Coltrane feel, almost ripping through the headphones like a cross between early Don Caballero, T.R.A.M., Mahavishnu Orchestra, and… Pantera.
If you grew up scared of Nickelodeon shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark and Goosebumps, there is a part of you that will not be able to deny the song’s hold on you. Perhaps that’s because the band’s unique aesthetic comes from a genuine place. We’re willing to believe Charles Kieny might be a reincarnated medieval magician of some kind, but he actually explains in the press release that “I’ve always been into medieval architecture and craftsmanship but I really fell into the rabbit hole at university. I was studying the history of early music and the lecturer showed us a Gregorian chant. It was ‘Victimae Paschali Laudes’ and it was the first time I ever heard an actual melody from the Middle Ages. I didn’t know that it would haunt me for years. I later took Gregorian choir classes and medieval counterpoint classes, and became obsessed with these themes.”
Well there you have it, kids – if you’re looking to spook your older siblings, but also think you’re cool and want them to ask who you’re listening to, CKRAFT is potentially the best choice you could make in 2024. Their new album Uncommon Grounds comes out January 17th 2025. Pre-order it here.
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