Forty-four years is a heck of a long time for a musical act of any genre to go between releasing new music. Sure, five years to a decade is becoming increasingly the norm, but more than four decades is pushing it to say the very least. Yet, veteran rock band Kelakos has done just that this month, releasing its first new music in 44 years Dec. 1 in the form of its new 12-song album, Hurtling Towards Extinction. Even being that so much time has passed between the release of this record and its predecessor, Gone Are The Days, it still sits just as well with today’s rock records as any other new album within its genre. That is due in part to its featured musical arrangements, which will be addressed shortly. The lyrical themes that accompany the record’s musical arrangements add to the album’s interest and will be examined a little later. The record’s production brings everything together and puts the finishing touch to the presentation. It will be discussed later, too. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of Hurtling Towards Extinction. All things considered they make the record a presentation that any vintage rock and guitar rock fan will find enjoyable and a welcome return for Kelakos.
Hurtling Towards Extinction, the first new record from Kelakos in more than forty years, is a presentation that audiences will agree is an interesting return for the veteran rock band. The record’s appeal comes in part through its featured musical arrangements. From beginning to end, the arrangements exhibited herein throw back to another era, a greater era. It is like opening up a musical time capsule buried way back in the 1960s. That is evidenced with the obvious comparison from one composition to the other, to works from the likes of Carlos Santana, Tom Petty, and even The Doors and Jimi Hendrix. Right from the record’s outset audiences get a dose of Santana’s influence (and even a touch of The Doobie Brothers) in ‘Livin’ on the Planet Love.’ That is evidenced through the gentle, flowing keyboard line placed alongside the vocals and guitar line. The soft, melodic approach taken here lifts from both acts while delivering a wholly unique composition that is sure to keep audiences engaged and entertained. Audiences get even more of that Santana influence as the album progresses into its third entry, ‘The Lone Road.’
The band really changes things up as the album continues its progression into the even more subdued ‘Downhill Slide.’ The use of the pedal steel as the song’s foundation gives the arrangement a country vibe. The vocals meanwhile go contrary to the pedal steel, giving audiences more of a Micheal McDonald sort of vibe. The bluesy guitar solo that the song builds into makes for even more interest even alongside that slide guitar. That is because the two sides should not work together but somehow the contrasting sounds and styles oddly compliment each other, to the end that the instrumentation actually proves surprisingly engaging in its own right. It gives even more unique touch to the album’s musical side, showing further why the album’s musical arrangements are so important to its whole.
On yet another intriguing note, the fiery opening drum solo, guitars, and vocals exhibited in ‘Play It Like You Mean It’ conjure thoughts of Emerson Lake & Palmer (ELP) and even Jethro Tull to a slightly lesser degree. Yet again, even with the comparison in mind, the arrangement still boasts its own identity with its bluesy sound and style that is sure to keep listeners engaged and entertained all in its own right. That is especially true in considering the subtle use of the electronics and keyboards alongside everything else. The whole actually gives the song something of an 80s new wave sound and a rock vibe at the same time that is wholly unique.
The influence of The Doors (and even ZZ Top) comes into play immediately after that song in ‘Austin Chill’ what with the even more direct bluesy approach. Even the vocal approach is something akin to that of ZZ Top front man Billy Gibbons. It is all the more proof of the importance of the album’s musical content.
As if everything noted is not enough, the arrangements continue changing throughout the rest of the record, offering listeners all the more reason to keep listening from beginning to end. Audiences will hear that for themselves when they take in the record.
The musical arrangements featured in this record are only a portion of what makes the record worth hearing. The lyrical themes that accompany said content is just as diverse and is just as certain to keep viewers engaged and entertained. From the all-too-familiar theme of love lost and gained to the equally familiar commentaries of so much music out there to the simple, laid back stuff, the themes are just as certain to resonate with listeners are the musical content. ‘Austin Chill’ for instance, was inspired by a trip taken by bassist Linc Bloomfield to Austin, TX. According to information provided about the song, the music he heard during his time in the city led him to compose this bluesy work that is simply about that trip and how much he enjoyed the experience. There is no hyperbole or anything else. It is just a celebratory story. As is sung by vocalist George Kelakos Haberstroh, “I’m feeling good/’Cause there’s a party in the neighborhood/We got the band all here/…the beer/It’s time to shake it like you know you should/The bartender is hustling to fill/A dozen glasses with the local swill/It’s a million degrees/And I’m feeling the breeze of that/Ice cold Austin chill.” He adds, “Now there’s a food truck along the street/A bunch of people lined up to eat/Check it out/The funky dude/Servin’ up the spicy food/And the barbecue’s hard to beat/It’s time to let the good times roll/Let the music kidnap your soul/I came here to play/And that’s the only way/’Cause a night in Austin/Never grows old.”
While the band offers up something fun in ‘Austin Chill,’ the noted commentary presented here comes twice over in the form of ‘Florida Flash Flood’ and ‘Where Magic Grows.’ Both songs are warnings about the impact that humans are having on the already naturally occurring climate change. In the case of ‘Florida Flash Flood,’ the vocals are somewhat muddied by the production and washed out by the driving guitars and drums, but just enough can be understood to make the connection. The mention of hurricanes causing so much trouble, flooding and the dire circumstances happening makes the message clear. This is especially the case with the chorus noting the flash flood on the way.
In the case of ‘Where Magic Grows,’ the message goes even deeper as Bloomfield sings right from the song’s outset, “Robots digging rocks on mars/Rich guys taking rides in space/Down below/Tensions grow within the human race/Everything is speeding up/Where we’re headed, no one knows/Rich or poor/ Peace or war/We live where magic grows/Hurricanes are getting worse/Water’s coming through the door/Summer heat/Melts the street/Wonder how much more/Time is running out, they say/Act before the window’s closed/There they’ll see/We can be/The land where magic grows.” The message here is clear. There is so much bad, but also the potential for good and the future, good or bad, is really up to us. Bloomfield furthers that message in the song’s second verse as he addresses mother nature’s power and what it can do. It is another commentary that is increasingly so commonplace among rock acts that is certain to resonate with listeners through its simple approach.
Listeners who want something a little bit opposite of that get exactly that earlier in the record’s run in the form of ‘Downhill Slide.’ This is one of those songs that lyrically centers on a man whose romantic interest has left and he is mourning the loss. He tells her that he is on a downhill slide ever since she left as the song’s melancholy musical arrangement plays. Once more here is an example of the diversity in the album’s lyrical themes. When this and the themes of the other songs examined here are considered along with the rest of the album’s lyrical themes, the whole therein makes the album’s overall lyrical content just as much reason for audiences to hear this record as its musical content.
While the collective musical and lyrical content featured throughout this record does plenty to make the album worth hearing, it is still only part of the presentation’s appeal. The production brings everything together here and completes the presentation. As noted already there is at least one point through the record’s run in which the vocals do become muddied and somewhat washed out due to the production. However, that moment is about the only point at which the production proves concerning. Throughout the rest of the record the instrumentation and vocals are relatively well-balanced, through the more energetic moments and the more subdued songs. It shows that plenty of time and effort went into this important in its own right element. The result is a mostly positive aesthetic that is sure to engage audiences just as much as the record’s primary and secondary content. To that end, this aspect of Kelakos’ new album overall is a presentation that largely succeeds and will appeal to most rock and vintage rock fans.
Hurtling Towards Extinction, the new, very long awaited album from veteran rock outfit Kelakos, is a presentation that rock and vintage rock fans will find largely appealing. Its appeal comes in part through its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements are of interest because they throw back so directly to works from so many other bands from the band’s early days while still boasting their own identities. Among the bands that the band reaches to for inspiration are the likes of Bad Company, The Doobie Brothers, Carlos Santana, etc. The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical arrangements build on the appeal that said content establishes. That is because of their accessibility and familiarity. The record’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation, ensuring its aesthetic appeal is just as present as that from its content. Each element examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album. All things considered they make Hurtling Towards Extinction an interesting addition to this year’s field of new rock albums that is worth hearing at least once.
Hurtling Towards Extinction is available now through Deko Music. More information on the album is available along with all of Kelakos’ latest news at:
Website: http://www.kelakos.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KelakosUncorked
