Review Summary: Here's to hoping that the music of one in a hundred-million will reach a few more.
It’s recently become apparent to me that screamo is a genre best served in smaller portions. Even with the most delectable creations, a fleeting experience is likely to have a stronger effect if the band as the ability and judgment to make the ephemeral feel lasting. Killie take a 2-song EP,
Afterall, The Opinion Of One In A Hundred Million will Not Reach Anyone, and with the precision of a watchmaker craft an album that seamlessly blends post-rock in screamo, along with the intensity of a hardcore album. It’s been done before, I hear you thinking. Stay tuned, though, because Killie manage to perform the style in a fashion that will leave you utterly impressed and with your ears gasping for air.
Arising from Tokyo, Killie have been heralded as an overseas version of Off Minor. The comparison holds true in some aspects, but Killie do a spectacular job at breaking off from the pack. Creating their own flow seems to come naturally to Killie, whether it’s the way their songs are predominately instrumental or if it’s the nice spoken-word segments that accompany the screaming. From about a minute into “Lyrics Will Not Reach The Audience,” the onslaught has begun. The vocalist certainly isn’t revolutionary, but his screams are a staple, one of the things that grants
Afterall a flowing listenability that is, save for a few, fairly unmatched in the genre. Part of the intensity that the screams garner is derived from the usually-lengthy interludes between screaming. Killie do a nice job at employing fairly interesting riffs and percussion between the vocals, never failing to leave the listener feeling abandoned.
Afterall also manages to create a unique experience by providing a range of emotions throughout the two-song experience. From the dissonance and reverb that begin “One In A Hundred Million” to the more full-sounding, meaty middle of “Lyrics Will Not Reach The Audience,” Killie only add to the intrigue. Managing mostly on the chaotic element, Killie balance it out here and there with the more structured post-rock elements that provide the EP with some backbone. Singing about labor, capitalism, and politics add another dimension to the already rich tapestry on
Afterall. With an uncanny ability to seemingly burst from nothingness and seamlessly sift back into the background, Killie creates an aesthetic that is all their own.
At only 2 tracks long, this is
usually the part where I would complain that
Afterall could’ve used another 10 minutes to its advantage. Yet, at 20 minutes long, Killie’s EP gives off an impression of completeness that isn’t guaranteed when listening to 50-minute full-lengths. Through their fine-tuning ability to keep every moment, every riff, every line interesting, Killie manage to separate themselves from the pack in stunning fashion.
Afterall, The Opinion Of One In A Hundred Million will Not Reach Anyone is an absolutely phenomenal release in its own right, equal parts chaotic power and post-rock grandeur... and here’s to hoping that the music of one in a hundred million will reach a few more.
