My relationship with Lovecraft is limited to two things: Bloodborne (an excellent adaptation that works because you, as the Hunter, must figure out what’s happening in Yharnam) and The Great Old Ones, whose music I absolutely adore. In fact, I loved their previous record, Comiscism, so much that I ended up writing about how great they were at adapting their source material into music. Now, with their newest release, Kadath, it’s time to see if they continue to bring their brand of eldritch horror to higher planes of existence.
For context, Kadath is adapted from the novella The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, where the main character Randolph Carter aims to reach the city of Kadath (the city of the gods) which he has only seen in his dreams. He wants them to show him the way to a “majestic sunset city,” as the gods keeping snatching him away from seeing it up close. As the novella progresses, Carter traverses through the Dreamlands, reaching Kadath and finding only Nyarlathotep there. Eventually, Carter wakes up from his dream, escaping Nyarlathotep and realizing where the city is located. What The Great Old Ones have done with this tale is adapt and walk the listener through the main points of the story taking them into Carter’s journey through the Dreamlands as he views horrors beyond his comprehension just to seek audience with the Great Ones.
Kadath starts off with “Me, The Dreamer,” a track that outlines Carter’s intentions to seek audience with the Great Ones and starts his journey towards Kadath. The music may be rooted in black metal, given the chugging guitars and the heavy drums, but there is definitely more than meets the eye. There is this deep melodic tone that runs through it as if slowly easing the listener into what sorts of horrors they might see alongside Carter. These melodies tend to happen during transitional moments, where you are either hearing Carter describe what he is seeing, or when you are seeing things shift from one place to the next. Around the halfway mark, the music sounds more sinister and cavernous as if something is going to suddenly come out from whatever space and bless you with eldritch knowledge. This sinister undercurrent runs deep through the entirety of Kadath, and it serves to show the listener that they are in for quite the trip.
As the atmosphere and the music continue building, you can’t help but be taken by the music. While Cosmicism was how deep things could get with what they have, Kadath allows itself to experiment with its different tones while also remaining incredibly straightforward. Even though the majority of these tracks are past the five-minute mark, Kadath doesn’t waste a single moment in its execution. Each one has its own distinct sound. For example, “Those From Ulthar” oozes atmosphere and dread, but then there is this moment where you just want to groove to the music. Then, you have “Under the Sign of Koth,” where The Great Old Ones pull out the big guns and come out swinging with heavy riffs and even heavier drums. This track also has a great black’n’roll feel. You can tell that the band had a fantastic time composing and constructing this album, and they have truly done this story justice in its adaptation.
While I love the music and the general atmosphere The Great Old Ones have created, what truly caught my attention regarding Kadath is “Leng,” a 15-minute instrumental track that sits towards the end of the album. “Leng” is the climax of the story where Carter ends up not only assisting in two small battles between two factions but also ends up getting captured by the Men of Leng, meets old friends and a sinister high priest, and takes a final boat ride to Kadath. Here the music bears an emotional weight shifting between melodic overtones, a slow and almost laconic guitar solo that paints a picture of uncertainty for Carter’s fate, and the return of heavy drums and chugging guitars that contrast with the almost ethereal-like background “Leng” has. It is a majestic track, a testament to the band’s ability to create fantastic music, and a true highlight for those who seek more in their black metal.
Kadath succeeds in creating music that is atmospheric and incredibly engaging. It’s also a fantastic follow-up to Cosmicism, continuing their legacy as one of the main Lovecraftian black metal bands out there. While one could argue that the album runs too long or the music is bloated, this is a feature of The Great Old Ones’ music. I, for one, am pleased with this new release and hope that we don’t have to wait so long before we get more from them. All hail The Great Old Ones!
— Hera
Kadath will be available January 27 on Season of Mist. For more information on The Great Old Ones, please visit their Facebook and Instagram.