KNUT "Challenger"
Hydra Head
To this point, the nicest thing anyone could really say about Knut (pronounced "ca-newt") was that they often reminded them of other bands they liked. So imagine a cross between your noisy favorites Kiss it Goodbye, Isis, Keelhaul and Botch - except without the good parts. Okay, maybe their previous records like last year's Bastardiser LP (originally self-issued in 1998 in Europe through the band's own Snuff Recordings) and their "untitled" CDEP weren't quite that bad, but they generally lacked the personality of the aforementioned artists.
That makes the Swiss quartet's third full-length LP Challenger all the more startling. Culled from the same melting pot of metallic influence as prior Knut offerings, it's the introduction of more American noise rock leanings from the likes of Unsane, early Helmet, Barkmarket and even Sonic Youth that help lend the band some distinguishing colors. Still, it's only when they ease up on the throttle that those colors truly shine. The one-two punch of the dark and menacing "Neon Guide," and the lumbering dirge "H/Armless" demolish like a mini Neurosis, steamrolling any sonic excesses in their paths to leave only finely ironed sheets of metal in the wake. And while the "noisy" period Swans bludgeon of the 20-minute epic closer "March" may be exceedingly ambitious it certainly renders you listless-likely its intended result. Ultimately, it all means Knut still owe quite a few sonic debuts to already established acts but they certainly are becoming smarter shoppers.
( by Albert Mudrian )
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