My favourite Karma to Burn-related story concerns how, back in 1997, after signing to Roadrunner as an instrumental power trio, they were ordered by their then-new feudal owners to find a singer in order to make their debut album more marketable (why Roadrunner signed them in the first place is something you’ll have to ask Roadrunner). So, they found a dude, recorded their self-titled album with him and even went against their own grain by replacing their usual numbered songs with actual song titles. When it came time to hit the road however, the band, without telling Roadrunner, got rid of their singer and went on tour in their original guise, much to the chagrin of their overlords.
It’s this sort of fiery irreverence that has powered Karma to Burn since 1994 – with time away due to a break up from 2002 to 2009 – during many ups and downs, including those years that weren’t the most welcoming to those bands that chose to eschew the front person/vocalist route. Granted, instrumental metal has become a more accepted part of the metal spectrum; remember Pelican being featured on the cover of Decibel and scoring various Album of the Year accolades for City of Echoes back in 2007? Animals as Leaders and their dilettantes continue to fly the flag for the voiceless, but have emerged more from the sphere of technical wizardry and modern gadget usage as opposed to solid, riff-based song writing on guitars and basses with six and four strings, respectively.
This is the realm in which Karma to Burn has always existed and continues to do so with Arch Stanton (a nod to one of the greatest westerns, nay movies, of all time, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). Songs generally commence with riffs straddling a fine line between foot-stomping classic rock and metal that emphasizes robust, down-picked power chords, bouncy pull-offs and thunderous drum pounding. From there, the trio make gradual steps, small variations, slight shifts and adjustments of varying imperceptibility as a method of building off any one song’s original theme. It’s like a giant game of Jenga made out of guitars, basses and drums instead of wooden block pieces.
The frills are kept to the barest of minimums whilst propulsive rock is almost always pushed to the forefront. That Karma to Burn has zeroed in and locked on a particular style and methodology means there exists a noticeable and sometimes discouraging lack of variation on their own theme throughout Arch Stanton. You’ll likely experience an unshakeable sense of repetition by the time you get to the halfway point which can produce a feeling of comfort for some, or, in the more jaded, the sensation that not only have you heard it all before, but heard it a just few minutes ago in another song. Then again, the interchangeable architecture that can plague parts of this album also makes the appearance of oddball and left-field riffs, like the raging countrified trills that blast off out of “58”s intro, seem all the more powerful.
And there’s your take home message: Arch Stanton may not be worthy of in-depth discussions and deconstructions by music magazine editors and transcribers, but it’s full of heart, soul and the occasional rocking surprise.
7/10
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De-zrgA3o0g[/youtube]
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