Band: Klank
Release House: Smoke Dogg Productions
Genre: Industrial Metal
One Sentence Synopsis: Fifth studio album by the Klanksta!
Series: Standalone
Single/EP/Album: Album
Release Date: January 13, 2017
Running Time: 39 min
MSRP: $10.00
Discount Link: Click Here
Website: Click Here
Music Video: Click Here
Purchase Site: Click Here
Reviewed by: Reverend Leviathan
Final Score: 4.0 Moons (out of 5)
Daren “Klank” Diolosa first hit the scene in 1995 with the release of Still Suffering. Starting as a one man band Klank later became a full band which adopted his name. Rise is the fifth studio album from the group and the newest material to come out since 2012.
Theme
We’ve all been in a dark place at one time. Whether it be the loss of loved ones, contemplating suicide, overcoming addictions or coming to grips with our humanity and the limited time we have to live on this earth; we’ve been there and can relate. Klank covers this and more in their latest release. Rise offers its listeners a way to do just that. Don’t let four walls hold you, don’t let anything break you down. Rise!
Presentation
Dare I use the word “groovy” to describe this industrial metal piece of art? Rise has a groove that runs throughout it and it’s good. Though I have liked all of the albums released by Klank over the years it was really hard to live up to the debut Still Suffering…until now! These guys really put themselves into the production of this album. All of the electronic elements mixed with the distorted guitars and Daren’s vocals brought together the original beauty of heaviness and anguish that existed when he first hit the scene.
Klank has always been good at expressing anger and frustration, while at the same time offering hope of overcoming such obstacles, like in the song “Rise,” a very heavy song with his vocals doing some deep growling and low key singing. “The Beast Within” is a pretty good (and sad) look at suicide and those we lose to it. He does a good job of addressing the issue of those who argue that suicide is cowardly and an easy way out. You can’t understand the feeling if you’ve never been there. “De-volve” gives us a nice instrumental interlude.
My favorite song is probably “Only Human.” Reminds me of the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes and its message of everything being vanity; “you came into this world alone and that’s how you’re gonna leave.” It ends with a really good electronic breakdown. (On somewhat of a humorous note, I found out that “These4Walls” is a great motivational song to listen to while working out at the gym.)
Members from left to right: Eric Wilkins, Daren “Klank” Diolosa, Pat Servedio
Gothic Fit
Stereotypes aside, negative emotions are something that many of us in the Gothic community struggle with; feelings of isolation, depression and suicidal thoughts. Each song speaks of a struggle, some with hopes of overcoming the negativity. How many of us have contemplated or lost a loved one to suicide? What do we do when it seems like the whole world is against us and the room seems to be collapsing? Rise is a very easy album to relate to with all of these issues being addressed.
Closing Thoughts
You’ll be grooving to some songs, rocking to others, and headbanging to all of them! Rise could be Klank’s greatest album since the release of the debut Still Suffering.
Theme: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
Presentation: 3.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
Gothic Fit: 3.5 Moons (out of 5.0)
Final Score (not an average): 4.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
March 25, 2017
As a non-Christian, Klank has always been one of my gateway drugs to being able to relate to Christians and one of the few things that I can find about Christianity to appreciate. If all Christians were as human as the humans that Klank portrays in Rise, this certainly would be a much better world.