Selias - Killkarma

Steve Elias’s guitar work dominates the record, utterly concise, angular, and steeped in cold industrial sheen. His riffs move between groove laden chug and high velocity tremolo, anchoring a sound equally informed by In Flames, Rammstein, and Orbit Culture. “Bullets” hits with exacting force, a brutal commentary on conflict and survival, while “Beyond the Switch” expands the sonic field through synth layering and harmonic shifts that border on orchestral. “Don’t Tread on Me” and “Six 6 Sicks” emphasize rhythmic control, recalling Soilwork’s hybrid of melody and punishment.

Vocalist Guillaume Pascual alternates between guttural roars and clean, melodic phrasing that widens the emotional range without softening the delivery. His performance on “Abducted” sets the tone, half lament, half call to arms. Behind him, Jeff Hyde’s bass injects melodic motion beneath the guitar density, and Daniel Bouwman’s drumming maintains surgical precision across tempo shifts and syncopated patterns.

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Production is crisp yet oppressive. The synthetic textures function not as ornamentation but as atmosphere with smoke, static, and digital decay surrounding each movement. The closing tracks, “Flames” and “My Time,” conclude the record with exhausted intensity, their layered vocals and cinematic pacing suggesting catharsis through destruction, whilst "Twisted Path Reimagined” eases the record out the way it began.

Killkarma cements Selias as a disciplined force within modern melodic death metal. It trades excess for control and emotion for endurance. Every track is calculated impact, clean, heavy, and unrelentingly focused on turning despair into structure.

One of the greatest listens of the year 💯

10/10

Words by @FuegoCasa

In collaboration with @HeadbangersAustralia 🤘🏾

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