Kalibas
Enthusiastic Corruption of the Common Good
6.5
This 5 song EP from the now defunct Kalibas actually has the density and overall product of many full-length albums being released today. They play(ed) trademark Willowtip chaotic grind; very notey, intricate, dissonant, and dark. As usual, the grind is very difficult to grasp. But something that seems different about Kalibas as opposed to the rest of the WT roster is their absolute refusal to sit in one spot for more than 2 fucking seconds. I think the musicianship is quite stellar, but their shit just isn’t sticking to me. Kalibas proceed to hammer in 1000 nails during this listen, but none penetrate the surface enough to stay where they are at. While Ion Dissonance drives railroad stakes into you w/ their enormous crushing grooves that anchor their grindy chaos, Kalibas pretty much pass by any opportunity to make you remember the works. The music is no doubt quality, but it keeps that single floating, dismal gray mood all the way through. In a way, they remind me of the mighty Gorguts; you know what you're hearing is damn good and is certainly not your everyday metal, but it establishes such an unpleasant mood that it isn’t exactly every day that you go back to it. When Enthusiastic Corruption of the Common Good concludes, it leaves me w/ a feeling of expecting more but not getting it. Not just because it’s a quick 5-songer, but also because it does not feed me what I have come to need in order to obtain a truly satisfying listen. Call me closed-minded or possibly primitive, but after the absolute monster blast & crush that Ion Dissonance delivered, I simply want heavy fucking breakdowns once in awhile with my grind. I can easily recognize the value in Kalibas. You’d have to be deaf not to. But is this something I would frequently be in the mood for, or say, hunt down vigorously to accommodate my ride to work? No, it’s not. Kalibas was no doubt a quality band that had some great ideas. Some listeners will be impacted more than others, however. If you worship the ground Gorguts members pissed on, then I’m positive you will be playing Kalibas more frequently than I will.
