Kimura are a well established band in the Perth metal scene having run the circles of the metal community in the west for many years now. With a slew of recordings now behind them it seemed fitting to see their fourth release come to fruition in the form of “Circle The Prey” which much like the title itself, has a vicious and primal nature to it.
“Circle The Prey” definitely continues the band’s legacy forward with their signature brand of groove based metal but with that comes some personal touches thematically which results in a set of songs that further evolve the band.
Opening track “Cliff & Step” is trademark Kimura, a groove laden heavy hitter that pushes the gates wide open to kick start the album. From there we get an overall good sense of what this band is all about and for first time listeners, it’s a good gateway into Kimura despite this being the band’s fourth release.
Released as the first taste of the album back in September, “Sharpen The Bones” touches on sociopolitical viewpoints while simultaneously laying down some crushing riffs to hammer the point across. “Digital Mercy” is a mish-mash of tempos and dynamics, an indication of the band exposing some different shades of their sound while “Suffer Slow” contains some dazzling riffs contained within a frenetically paced framework.
The aggression and intensiveness of the album is not just typical of Kimura of course but given an extra boost with solid production and precise musicianship. As far as metal releases go, it’s hard to place much fault amongst the 13 tracks on offer and while you won’t necessarily find truly groundbreaking stuff here which to be fair is very difficult to find these days , Circle The Prey still stands out in a global scene that seems way too saturated for it’s own good.
One of the more interesting tracks that comes in two parts – “Damnare Pt.1 – Judgement” and the album closer “Damnare Pt. 2 – Sentenced“, is an instrumental showcase that again proves Kimura aren’t afraid to be a little showy in their musicianship. It’s not progressive by any means but it’s a melodic standout nonetheless. Second single “Hangman” continues that path of difference with a slightly more fragmented style, again showing the different shades of the band’s sound.
The rest of the album is filled with many more great moments including one of the faster tracks in “Company We Keep” and “Hell Is Coming” featuring a tasty breakdown mid-way through the song. It’s moments like those that keep the album appealing and the listeners want to return for more which is always what you strive for in an album. Now the next thing to do is see these songs live!
8/10
TRACKLIST
Cliff & Step
Sharpen The Bones 03:28
Digital Mercy
Suffer Slow
Damnare Pt.1 – Judgement
Hangman 04:12
Serpents & Worms
Sciolist
Tracks
Company We Keep
Vultures
Hell Is Coming
Damnare Pt. 2 – Sentenced
