Klogr – Make Your Stand

Zeta Factory(2015)

Reviewer – Chris Gyngell

Sadly, I am old enough to remember the time when it was common for albums by artists that you had never heard of before to be amazingly good.

Every week there seemed to be some brand new band arriving with amazing songs and abilities. The real truth behind that was that before the decline of the record industry, big rich record labels would assign top producers to each band that they signed, to ensure that the songs released were written, arranged, played and sung perfectly.. and sometimes the sound we all heard was more the producer than the band!

In more recent times unfortunately a lot of releases by relatively unknown bands do not get that type of professional assistance, and so often the whole effort isn`t so well thought out and focused, and most notably the songs are often not quite what they need to be to compare to the `big name` classic bands. Personally I haven`t heard much in recent years that impressed me that way for sure.

So.. I was passed the new EP ‘Make Your Stand‘ from Italian-American Alternative Metal act Klogr.. well, to be more precise this is a 3-track studio EP of new numbers, plus 10 live songs from their previous repertoire. Once again, not a band that I had previously heard of.. but in this case, probably the best and most consummately handled piece of work I have heard outside of `the big names` for quite some time. Klogr have obviously been working hard, and have their business end sorted out quite well, as they have previously released 2 full-length albums and another EP, and consequently toured as support to Prong and appeared at Sweden Rock in 2013.

To sum up the band`s sound, they are definitely a post-nu metal act, with some strong similarities to bands from that era, incorporating some frenetic guitar and rhythm section work, plus vocals that range sometimes quite sharply between growl, soaring high register and harmonised `indie singalong` style. But before you imagine just a grunge-laden sound aka the 1999-era, there`s more.. regular and beautifully-executed guitar solos and some pretty melodic softer passages that expand the band`s overall sound to encompass things that are reminiscent of more traditional rock & metal. There`s also some influence from prog metal, with some Tool-esque dexterity in both playing & song arrangements. Whatever, the orchestration is varied, so there is little here that says boring or contrived.

The studio EP tracks are extremely well-produced too, with crisp sound and mix which has obviously been very carefully and intelligently handled via their label Zeta Factory. The opener ‘Breaking Down‘ is a good track to check out if you want to gauge what the band can do overall, with quick staccato and very well played guitar, and busy drums and bass. Singer Rusty`s vocal go through the full range on this track. The second track ‘Make Your Stand‘ definitely has a nu metal feel to me, but with all of the same qualities I have previously mentioned. ‘Breathing Heart‘ has a sumptuous clean guitar intro, and demonstrates the band`s ability to be melodic. Overall, if you want a good insight and introduction to Klogr, it seems to me that this EP will demonstrate perfectly to you what they are about.

Following the EP, the 10 live tracks, which are also to be available on DVD I believe, are all strong and feature the same talents. The production is also excellent considering this is a live effort.

All this said, and I am not specifically a fan of alternative metal. But Klogr get a round of applause from me, not only for their ability and efforts, but for not being a band with a contrived sound in order to `fit in` with the perceived industry requirements for success. They do however have all the right `ticks in boxes` to get attention and fit in on the European metal festival scene for instance. If I had to make any criticism at all, it would be that their complex approach may keep them strongly rooted to a `specialist` audience, as sometimes keeping music just a little more simple seems to be the key to reaching the bigger mainstream audience. But whatever Klogr choose to pursue in that respect in the future, it sounds to me like they have the weaponry to achieve it.