CD REVIEWS

Root Khnem – Root Khnem (Unsigned)

Known on the local gigging circuit, Leeds five piece Root Khnem got together in 2005, although it wasn’t until 2007 that they managed to forge a stable line up and went into the studio to record this E.P.

So considering the band hadn’t been around too long when this album was recorded they’ve done a fine job. It is nicely packaged and well produced, and there are some decent compositions which convince me that Root Khnem could do quite well for themselves if they put in the hours.

This is a four pronged attack of competent death/thrash that switches between thrashing passages and more straightforward heavy parts that focus on the melody. The vocals are gutturally projected and carry a nice raspy edge, which allows the lyrics to be heard rather clearly.

Apophis In The Duat sounds almost Children Of Bodom-esque in places, and this track mixes clean Egyptian guitar lines into the equation, although while this could potentially give Root Khnem a bit of an edge on the competition, it does come across rather awkwardly on here.

This is the workings of a band who have yet to find their own identity, and need to work on developing their own sound, but this will no doubt come with time and experience. A promising effort.

Luci Herbert