Review
On their self-titled fifth album, Denver's Khemmis push back against the rigid boundaries of epic doom with a nimble, riff-heavy perspective. Instead of relying on sluggish repetition, the band sharpens their focus with dual-guitar harmonies and brief blastbeat eruptions. Critics describe the eight-track collection as a "lean and mean record" that "exercises a more disciplined editorial hand" compared to their previous, atmosphere-heavy outings.
The consensus embraces this tighter framework, which "does not so much reproduce a sense of weight as it opens with a riff logic that reframes it". Phil Pendergast’s soaring clean vocals harmonize with Ben Hutcherson's guttural growls to map out emotional highs and lows, balancing triumphant classic metal energy with a persistent undercurrent of gloom. Critics commend the band's ability to maintain a "solemn-yet-steeled stance" despite writing out of a state of renewed camaraderie. The result reconciles early, slow-burning majesty with a newfound creative agility.
