Comus

Anyone who knows me will know that I recently dismissed Kayo Dots most recent album for departing from what I felt made motW and the first to KD albums brilliant. It’s all about the energy and most of all about the metal. Frankly Toby, do whatever the **** you want when it comes to music, but as long as you release under the Kayo Dot name you better make sure to have some actually cool bits in it!

The album stats very quietly, almost apprehensive, there is some lovely use of silence which I find absolutely mesmerizing. It is a perfect start to the album, it warms the listener up to the experience of the album. They Aren’t all Beautiful is what made motW so bloody brilliant, the harsh unexpected edge after such a calm introductory track. That being said, there’s a certain edge that keeps it so far from metal itself, it merely incorporates it into the music.


I’ve always felt motW have more in common with say Caravan than with any metal band, there’s just a bit more pressure on the music, the band is clearly trying for a greater impact and it shows. The result is a far more focus effort (I know this sounds crazy but bear with me) than the 70’s style prog which I feel it bears great resemblance. This album is perfect to compare to Opeth’s Watershed with the difference that Opeth is more on the metal side that motW.

Heaven and Weak shows exactly what motW is capable of, they’ve built up two sides of a story and now they start the trial, the perfect amalgam that is avant-garde. Anyone who can listen to this album and not find themselves entertained must have sever mental deficiencies, there is so much to take in and it works so well in its own favour. Everyone will have their favourite parts, whether they be the metal or the more proggy elements but I doubt anyone can say that they’d have the same impact, or be as palatable without the combination of the two elements.


Whenever I listen to this album I feel a certain insolence in the production seep through to the listener, there is a definite sense of superiority on display here. I’ve always felt that with this album especially they knew it was going to be good, and they knew anyone who disagrees would be completely and utterly wrong. I must say this pays off in spades.

The album develops through in the same vein as before but never loses the meaty edge that makes it so great. There truly is never a dull moment here and it’s ultimately incredibly rewarding to properly familiarise yourself with the album fully.

In my opinion Bath is maudlin’s masterpiece, and it’s all held together superbly by an utter feeling of superiority, this album knows it’s better than you, and it’s certainly not afraid to say it, again and again! It's also worth mentioning that every time I finish listening to this album I feel so intensely happy that it's difficult to even imagine ever being sad.

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