The latest single, ‘Incompatibility’, by the alternative artist Kilravock, sonically storms through the gates of multiple genres. The raucously riled juggernaut is fuelled by the fire of industrial metal, sludged up through strokes of stoner doom rock, and finds its chameleonic stripes through the influence of progressive rock. It’s an onslaught of chaos that places Kilravock in the same league as Combichrist and Rammstein without bowing to any mechanised predecessor’s rulebook.
Omaha-based Steven W. Smith—known for his contributions to The Alliterates, Lucid Fugue, Megaton, and Valley of Shadows—has morphed into a one-man powerhouse under the Kilravock moniker. From instrumentation to production, everything you hear is of Smith’s own making, lending the track an undeniable sense of personal authenticity as it distils Smith’s frustration with society’s rigid frameworks and his lived neurodivergent experiences into a landscape of deep, sorrowful vocals and raw, frustrated howls.
Throughout, Kilravock’s grip on the melodic weight ensures that even though you’re pummelled by vicious distortion and messy reflections of discordance, you’re never lost. Instead, you’re locked into the insanity, granted permission to unchain your own chaos, and left with an aftertaste of brutal truth.
Incompatibility is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
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