Mantra for the End of Times, the newest disc from Kalki Avatara is an amalgamation of classical piano and guitar, choral arrangements and guttural growing of the highest order. I found this disc extremely difficult to listen to for a number of different reasons. First of all, I found Hell-IO Kabbalus’ vocals so irritating and annoying that I had to force myself to listen to them. Tthe indiscernible, incessant screaming is much more than I can handle, even in very small doses.

Secondly, even though the musicianship is quite decent and the individual parts are performed well I feel that the songs become weighted down and mired in an over the top, avant-garde sensibility that makes the CD, for lack of a better word, boring and at times incoherent. There are too many odd breaks accented with classical guitar and piano that, while played well, seems to be out of place among the distorted guitars and thundering drums. I found it very difficult to remain engaged with these songs for very long.

I realize that there are bands out there that push the musical limits in an attempt to be experimental and or extreme. While this type of music is not necessarily my cup of tea I do often times see merit in the project. I had a real hard time with this disc and at the end of the day; I really am not sure what the point of it is at all.

For those who enjoy music that is bizarre and offbeat you might want to check this one out. As for me I believe, Mantra for the End of Times misses the mark entirely.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Mankind Collapses
02. Ruins Of Kali-Yuga
03. Purification
04. Awaiting The Golden Age

Run Time: 20:56
Release Date: 2009