Hark’s Crystalline is a bit of an oddball. The first time I put it on, and the opening track ‘Palendromeda’ began to play, I thought, “Well this is a good bit of sludge.” Then the third track ‘Sins on Sleeves’ started, with it’s nu-metal riffs and clean(ish) vocals, and I started to scratch my head. This record is big, it’s fun, but it’s certainly not a straightforward sludge album.
Hark is a three-piece band hailing from Wales. They released an EP in 2012 and have returned in a big way with their first full length. Vocalist/guitarist Jimbob Isaac fronted the prolific stoner rock outfit Taint until their break up in 2010. Filling out Hark’s lineup are Nikolai Ribnikov and Simon Bonwick joining Jimbob, on bass and drums, respectively.
Let’s talk about the styles that the band has mixed together on Crystalline. There’s a heavy dose of sludge and stoner rock, a touch of nu-metal, and a bit of grunge and doom. The band melds these sounds into a release that is totally awesome. The energy on the record just doesn’t let up; from the moment you press play. The bass is thick and muddy, and is one of the highlights of the record. The low-end is so well represented and carries each track just the way it should. I tip my hat to Ribnikov and his fantastic bass tone.
Crystalline changes shape on every track, but each song is threaded with the same undertones. ‘Palendromeda’ is thick and sludgy, and ‘Hounded by Callous Decree’ continues in the same vein. Like I mentioned, ‘Sins on Sleeves’ is the most nu-metal track on the album. ‘Black Hole South West’ starts out with a big, noodling riff that settles into a great groove. ‘Mythopoeia’ has a touch of Mastodon with its heavy licks. The whole album is like this. A touch of early 90’s grunge makes an appearance on ‘Scarlet Extremities’ and then ‘All Wretch No Vomit starts off with a riff straight out of the Black Sabbath school of guitar. ‘Clear Light Of…’ ends the fun with a 10-minute, spaced out jam that I didn’t want to end. While Ribnikov’s bass lines are some of my favorite parts of the record, there are moments when I’m not really feeling the vocals. In general, I’m not a fan of cleans vocals, so this is definitely my own bias. Even so, I loved this album.
Crystalline was recorded at Monnow Valley Studios, which has cranked out work from Rush, Portishead, and Judas Priest. Kurt Ballou, who plays guitar for Converge and has worked with High on Fire and Kverlertak, mixed the album. The first full-length release from Hark is hell of a rock album. You may not be able to exactly peg the genre, but there’s no denying that this album kicks ass.
