What greater joy is there than this, to receive a new Khemmis album?  Somehow, every single release from the Denver quartet is the best work they have ever done, and while the wait since Deliverance is the longest yet between albums, I think we can all say that the trust that the metal scene has in Khemmis is solid enough that we all know they’re using that time wisely.  But while all has been quiet on the almost-Western front, the downtime leading up to this self-titled fifth full length has been full of change and reinvigoration.

Khemmis have been a staple of the heavy metal world for over a decade now, and basically since their inception they have been lauded for capturing a very unique brand of doom, trad metal, sludge and stoner smatterings and just good old fashioned rock and roll.  You would think, because heavy metal rules and because of just how fucking GOOD every single Khemmis album is, that this kind of thing would never get old.  Maybe it didn’t get *old*, per se, but one of the biggest factors that contributed to Khemmis and to the gap in material was the band rediscovering their friendship and their love for playing heavy music.  While the band is heavily associated with the city of Denver, drummer Zach Coleman and singer/guitarist Phil Pendergast have both moved to opposite coasts of the country, which forced the band, which includes co-singer and co-guitarist Ben Hutcherson and new addition David Small on bass, to prioritize their relationships with each other, and in turn to remember just how awesome it is to play heavy music with your buds.  “It feels a lot like the early days where it’s really fun again,” says Coleman.  “Like we’re on a hot streak with writing and riffs and material.”  “Me and Zach moving away, in some ways, actually strengthened that, ’cause it’s kind of proven to ourselves that when we get back together, we can trust each other to do what we need to do.  We’ve been able to reconnect to that sense of just how badass it is that we get to even do this,” adds Pendergast.  Believe me, folks, badass doesn’t even begin to cover it.  According to the band, Khemmis is, at its core, a celebration of the joy of heavy music, and damn it all if this album isn’t *joyful*.  Of course, it’s Khemmis, so it’s definitely heavy and mournful and ripping and doomy and all the things it should be, but this is an album that sounds like four friends coming together after being apart for a while and jamming on the best ideas of their lives.

Picking up Small on the bass is probably the best thing that has happened to Khemmis in recent memory; not only does he fit in incredibly well with the rest of the band, but he adds an extra dimension and technicality to the rhythm section that compliments and uplifts what his bandmates do.  If you want an example of his chops, look no further than the fleet-fingered break in the middle of opener “Invocation of the Dreamer” and follow what he adds to the background of the twin guitar solo just after.  The way he and Coleman hold down the fort while Pendergast and Hutcherson soar off into the stratosphere is immaculate, and it makes the whole affair feel so much grander.  Shit, there’s even an honest-to-god bass solo in “Beneath the Scythe”!  And speaking of guitar work, these are some of the nastiest riffs Khemmis have come up with in a long time, and some of the most memorable melodies and songs in general.  The way that a song like “Gilded Chambers” incorporates doom, heavy metal, punk and everything in between is beyond commendable.  This is an album that radiates joy, pure and simple.  I cannot wipe the grin off my face from the minute this album starts until the minute it ends.

“Our litmus test for every album is, ‘Is this a thing we would want to listen to?’  And if the answer is ‘yes, then who gives a fuck what the rest of the world thinks?” muses Hutchinson on the legacy of Khemmis.  I don’t know about the rest of the world, but somehow this album CONTINUES THE TREND of every new Khemmis album being the best Khemmis album ever.  It’s crazy how there isn’t a single miss in this entire discography, but Khemmis feels like so much more than retreading old ground and resting on laurels.  This is some of the most inspired this band has been, and I would be absolutely shocked, flabbergasted even, if this album didn’t end up pretty damn high on my year end list.  I simply can’t bring myself to put it down, and that’s the highest praise I can give any album.

— Ian

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Khemmis will be available June 12 on Nuclear Blast Records.  For more information on Khemmis, visit their official website.