Adimiron
K2
5
At first glance, Italy’s Adimiron looks to have the goods. Their burly riffs, jarring rhythms and massive, polished studio sound all raise expectation. Expectation that’s never met.
True, Adimiron looks good from a distance. But don’t look too closely. Ignore the small, bookish man behind the curtain; the one flipping switches and turning dials with one hand while feverishly flipping through crib notes ripped from the book of Meshuggah. And for simple contrast, he dials in some clean crooning a la Katatonia-by-way-of-Tool. It’s smoke and mirrors, hiding the fact that underneath the glossy but punishing window dressing, there’s very little to offer in terms of creativity or actual songcraft. K2 can get your attention, but then has no idea what to do with it. It’s the little kid that screams for the ball, then shoots it in the wrong basket.
In its best moments, like “Where Nothing Changes,” and “Thou Walk Eternal,” K2 is largely inoffensive and could be enjoyed in a “use once and destroy” kind of way. But that’s not much in the way of an endorsement, now is it? Unfortunately, the rest of the record is mired in monotonous vocals and ill-advised hooks.
You could do worse, but there’s nothing on K2 that makes it especially worth your while. For something similar done better, check out Chile's Coprofago.
